The Carolina Panthers quietly added size and experience to their receiver room on Thursday, signing former Clemson and Indiana wideout E.J. Williams to the practice squad, the team announced.
The move filled the vacancy created when linebacker Tyrel Dodson was elevated to the 53-man roster earlier in the week.
Carolina had also weighed bringing back Jimmy Horn Jr. after he cleared waivers, but Horn chose Cleveland instead, leaving the door open for Williams.
Williams stands 6-foot-3, making him yet another towering target for Bryce Young. At 24 and listed around 203 pounds, the Phenix City, Alabama, product brings a frame that can work the intermediate areas and contest balls in traffic.
That profile has become a familiar look in Carolina’s offense, where Young has been asked to throw to longer receivers who can create mismatches against smaller defensive backs.
Williams’ path to Charlotte was anything but linear. A four-star recruit out of Central High School, he arrived at Clemson in 2020 and flashed immediately as a true freshman with 24 catches for 306 yards and two scores.
Production dipped over the next two seasons amid a crowded Tigers depth chart, and he transferred to Indiana after the 2022 campaign.
Injuries limited him in 2023 and 2024, but he stayed healthy in 2025 and posted career highs of 36 receptions, 438 yards and six touchdowns while helping the Hoosiers claim a national championship.
Across six college seasons and 60 games, he finished with 101 catches for 1,210 yards and eight scores.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed him as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 draft, pairing him briefly with former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Williams caught three passes for 52 yards in the preseason before being released at the end of camp. The Panthers wasted little time bringing him in, giving Dave Canales another body who knows how to run routes and compete for the football.
For now Williams is a practice-squad addition rather than an immediate roster threat. Carolina’s active receiver group remains led by Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, with John Metchie and others filling complementary roles. Still, the practice squad exists to develop players who can be elevated on short notice.
A 6-foot-3 receiver with a championship résumé and recent preseason tape offers the kind of insurance a young quarterback can use when injuries or scheme needs arise.
Williams has already shown he can contribute after setbacks. Whether he stays a depth piece or eventually works his way onto the game-day roster will depend on how quickly he absorbs the playbook and how the rest of the season unfolds.
For a Panthers team still searching for consistent offensive answers, adding another tall target is a low-risk way to keep options open.
