Williams’ time: UNLV QB excels after starting season as backup

Hajj-Malik Williams isn’t the same quarterback he was during fall camp, or even a few games ago — he’s better.

His progress could make all the difference when the UNLV football team faces Boise State in the Mountain West championship game at 5 p.m. Friday in Boise, Idaho.

The sixth-year transfer is months removed from losing the starting battle to Matthew Sluka, who left the program after three games because of a dispute over name, image and likeness payments.

“I’ve never had that type of challenge before,” Williams said. “The beauty of football helps you grow in all aspects.”

That’s exactly what Williams has done, completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards and 17 touchdowns with four interceptions this season while also rushing for 768 yards and nine scores.

“He’s always very, very hungry to fix problems,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “He’s practicing really well. Things have slowed down for him, and he’s playing really good ball.”

The veteran signal-caller made his first Division I start in a 59-14 win over Fresno State on Sept. 28. The triumphant debut saw Williams complete 13 of 16 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns while adding 119 yards rushing and another touchdown.

But Williams has encountered plenty of learning opportunities since. Odom said a gritty 29-27 win in wet Hawaii weather on Nov. 9 marked a turning point.

Williams was off in the passing game early, but he kept dishing and eventually threw a go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter. Although he only completed 13 of his 27 attempts, he ran for 122 yards and a touchdown and didn’t have a turnover.

“Maybe he was trying to move a little too quickly in either getting off the read or staying on the read,” Odom said. “I think that experience has helped him become who he is today.”

In a similar situation against San Jose State on Nov. 22, Williams threw an interception early but appeared unfazed. By the end of the game, he was connecting on vital passes to close out the 27-16 win.

Leader

Amid his progress, Williams hasn’t forgotten how his journey started: as a reserve, questioning if he’d given up a starring role at Campbell to end his career on the bench.

“It’s been one of my hardest years of my life,” Williams said of those first three games. “Just how things transpired at the beginning. … But then you ask yourself, ‘What do you want? Who do you want to become?’”

Senior center Jack Hasz, who has snapped the ball for four starting quarterbacks in two years, said Williams has developed into a compass for the Rebels like nothing he’s ever seen.

“He’s by far the best communicator I’ve had. Going through spring ball with him, it was a big change in a good way,” Hasz said. “He really acts as the leader and the motor to get other guys going, and he does a great job of that.”

Williams also pushes himself. Odom said he pours extra time into studying film, and Williams said he’s his own “biggest critic” in practice.

Avoiding sacks

Odom said he believes Williams is guaranteed to be “so successful in life whenever football is over,” but the quarterback is first faced with the challenge of Boise State.

It’s a game with historic stakes for the program, which has never won a Mountain West championship and could also advance to the College Football Playoff with a win.

Williams will be under intense pressure, literally and figuratively. When the Rebels lost 29-24 loss to Boise State at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 25, Williams was sacked six times.

“There were some things within those six sacks I think we can get cleaned up,” Odom said. “I think that will be a big part of the game.”

Beyond Williams being more protected, moving better in the pocket and being more decisive with the ball, Odom has another key expectation for his team’s response to the Broncos’ blitzing.

“We’ve got to be strong enough, with mental toughness and resolve, to bounce back and find a way to overcome it,” he said.

Fortunately for the Rebels, mental toughness has been Williams’ middle name.

When asked what kind of crowd he expects Friday, Williams was blunt.

“I’ve never been there,” he said. “Don’t even know where it is on the map.”

But he knows one thing for sure: His mother, Veverly Griffin, will be in the stands. She hasn’t missed a game since Williams was 5. She’s said to stand on her feet for the entirety of each contest, and Williams calls her his “why.”

“She’s always there,” he said. “No matter where on earth it’ll be.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.