Zereoue Williams emerging as Utah’s next NFL OL prospect

SALT LAKE CITY — Through the early part of the season, one of the most encouraging developments for Utah has come along the offensive line. Zereoue Williams has emerged as a dependable answer at left tackle, and his impressive start is building a case for a future in the NFL.

Williams has earned a 92.0 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus without allowing a pressure in 90 graded pass-blocking opportunities. His protection of Devon Dampier’s blind side has provided stability for a rebuilt offensive line as the Utes enter Big 12 play.

For Williams, the early success has come with a growing sense of comfort in a role he spent years preparing to fill.

“I know what I’m doing. I know what to expect,” Williams said at Monday’s media availability.

That confidence is shared by his quarterback. Dampier pointed to Williams’ performance in the bowl game, when he stepped into Caleb Lomu’s spot at left tackle, as an early reason to trust him. Williams has continued to earn that trust through the team’s 3–0 start.

“I’ve been able to lean on him this whole entire time,” Dampier said. “Again, he’s the leader on our team. He’s quiet, but he definitely demonstrates it every day.”

Zereoue Williams makes the most of his opportunity

Williams’ emergence has been a long time coming.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 305 pounds — though noticeably bigger in person — Williams arrived at Utah in 2021 with limited football experience.

Williams did not play football between seventh grade and his junior season at Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, spending most of that time focused on basketball. He earned second-team all-state honors on the court as a junior before turning his focus to football.

Though obviously later than most typical recruitments, once he committed to the gridiron, it didn’t take long for him to earn opportunities at the next level.  He received his first handful of college offers from Jim Harding and the Utes, as well Florida State, Arizona State, and Oregon State in October of his senior year.

His development as a lineman has required patience. Williams did not see game action between 2021-2023 and suffered a season-ending injury in 2024. He played only 156 offensive snaps in 2025, including a very solid performance in Utah’s 44-22 win over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Now, with a regular role, he finally has the opportunity to show what those years of patience and work behind the scenes have produced.

Williams said the nerves he once felt before games have eased as he has gained experience. The opening kickoff brings a readiness to get to work, and he believes the line is earning the confidence of the rest of the team.

“I just like being able to really gain the trust of our other offensive players and our defense,” Williams said of silencing the critics. “I feel like people can rely on us now. Our offense can like look at us and be like, okay, these guys, we know what these guys are capable of.”

That reliability carries particular value for Dampier. Protection on the edge gives him time to work through his reads and allows Utah’s receivers to get into their routes. Williams’ clean pressure record is an encouraging measure of how consistently he has handled that responsibility.

Learning from Utah’s NFL tackles

Williams had two very good examples to study each of the last two seasons in Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano. Both were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft last April.

Asked what he learned from the former Utah tackles, Williams first pointed to the confidence with which they played. He wants that same comfort to show up in his own movement and technique.

“Initially, confidence,” Williams said. “Like, I see the way they play with just fluid motion and it’s like, I want to put that in my game.”

He also studied Fano’s hand strikes and his ability to stay engaged when an edge rusher tried to work around the corner. Finishing those reps, Williams said, is something he has focused on incorporating into his own game.

Williams said that group still stays connected through a shared text thread, checking in on one another and trading memes and laughs along the way.

On the field, he credited offensive line coach Jordan Gross for building confidence, as well as the scout team for helping the linemen prepare for the speed and looks they will face.

“During the week, we take what we see on film and then we try to like replicate it as best we can, especially with the scout guys,” Williams said.

Building his NFL Draft case

Williams’ size and early pass-protection results make his professional potential worth watching. With more starting experience, he has an opportunity to show whether that combination can hold up across a full conference schedule.

He has looked comfortable protecting the blind side, pairing his fluid movement with a more powerful frame. Offensive line coach Jordan Gross said he added 30 pounds this offseason, and that added size has provided him a stronger anchor and helped him deliver more force through contact.

He’s the first “I didn’t know about you, but you have my full attention” after watching 2026 tape.

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 22, 2026

The next step is becoming more consistent in the run game. His 61.2 PFF run-blocking grade through three games trails his performance in protection. Williams identified his pad level and staying attached to defenders as priorities, along with the line’s work getting to blocks at the second level.

Improvement in those areas would help the offense generate more consistent rushing opportunities and strengthen Williams’ evaluation as a complete tackle.

The Utes open conference play at Iowa State, beginning a stretch that will provide a fuller picture of his progress.

Williams has already made himself a player Dampier can rely on. Continuing to deliver that protection while developing the rest of his game would give Utah another credible candidate to follow its recent tackles to the NFL.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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