Buckeyes linebacker Kourt Williams retiring from football due to injuries
COLUMBUS — Ohio State linebacker Kourt Williams has battled and battled through numerous injuries during his Buckeyes career. He is now choosing to end his time on the football field.
Williams announced on Instagram that he is moving on from football after missing last season with another knee injury. Williams was slated to be in his fifth season for the Buckeyes this upcoming fall.
“4 knee surgeries & 3 shoulder surgeries,” Williams said in his Instagram post. “- In these 5 years, there’s been a lot of light and a lot of dark but I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s time to move on. My family, teammates, and everybody who has stuck by me thought it all…I thank you & I love you. The Lord’s plan is always greater. I’ll see you soon.”
Williams was slated to be a breakout star in the defense after a solid performance in the 2022 Rose Bowl. Instead, he missed most of the 2022 campaign with an injury — and then suffered another one last August, which sidelined him for the entire 2023 season.
“Really feel awful for Kourt,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said when announcing Williams’ injury to the media last August. “I just feel like he can’t catch a break. He’s such a great young man. And, so, prayers are out to him. We’re all rallying around Kourt.”
Williams was a top-150 prospect coming out of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Williams showcased the ability to both play outside linebacker and safety in high school, even adding a pair of sacks to his 74-tackle total as a junior. He was ultimately selected to play in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
In his first year at Ohio State, Williams’ initial ACL tear occurred less than a month removed from his black stripe removal. But he bounced back to make a significant contribution to the 2021 defense, logging a career-high 182 defensive snaps on the season, per Pro Football Focus. That season, he earned his first career start against Utah in the Rose Bowl, and finished the campaign with 27 total tackles, including 21 solos, four TFLs and one sack.
Williams was named a Buckeyes captain ahead of the 2022 season, except he was significantly limited by his shoulder injuries, which he sustained in the preseason. He managed just 42 defensive snaps across four games, according to PFF. After the Buckeyes’ Week 6 win at Michigan State, Williams didn’t see the field again in 2022.
Williams made the switch to linebacker with hopes of giving himself the best chance at reaching the NFL. It would have been an uphill battle to playing time in a crowded Ohio State linebacker room that only gets two starting spots in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 system.
But now after battling through numerous injuries during his time at Ohio State, Kourt Williams is deciding to hang up his cleats and move on from college football.
