Report: Florida State Defensive Line Transfer James Williams Signs with Oklahoma State

PORTAL TRACKER

The Cowboys open their Friday with the addition of a defensive lineman who has experience in the Big Ten and ACC.

Florida State transfer James Williams has signed with Oklahoma State, according to CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer. Williams, listed at 6-foot-6, 259 pounds, spent two years at Nebraska before transferring to Tallahassee ahead of the 2025 season. In 27 games across those three seasons, he has recorded 37 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

On3 considers Williams the No. 155 player and No. 17 edge rusher in the transfer portal. 247Sports is also high on him, listing him as the No. 182 player in the portal and the No. 25 edge rusher.

Williams’ college career started at Iowa Western Community College, where in one season he made 19 tackles, seven tackles for loss and six sacks.

That led Nebraska to come calling. In four games while redshirting with the black shirts in 2023, Williams made four tackles, two of which were sacks.

He played in 12 games in 2024 with the Cornhuskers, finishing the year with 14 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Williams hit the portal after that season, and 247Sports listed him as a four-star portal recruit and the No. 28 player in the portal last year. He committed to Florida State, and in his lone year with the Seminoles, Williams made 19 tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 11 games.

He’s sacked the quarterback everywhere he’s been.

Williams is originally from Parkville, Missouri. He was an all-state selection during his senior season at Park Hill South High School, finishing the year with 108 tackles, 35 tackles for loss and 18 sacks, per MaxPreps.

Williams becomes the sixth defensive lineman the Cowboys have added during this portal window and the third from the ACC. Keviyan Huddleston (North Texas), Fatafehi Vailea II (North Texas), Jerry Lawson (Louisville), Billy Walton (SMU) and Braylon Rigsby (Texas Tech) are the other defensive linemen who have pledged to the Pokes thus far.