The breakout star of New York Jets training camp isn’t who anyone expected.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY singled out wide receiver and return specialist Isaiah Williams as a player who has created noise.
“One training camp star who is really starting to generate a ton of buzz is Isaiah Williams. He caught that touchdown on the first possession [of the Jets’ scrimmage]. He is making a ton of plays with the starters. [Williams] is making a ton of plays with the second team,” Hughes said on Saturday, August 8.
On Saturday, August 8, the Jets held an intra-squad scrimmage. Williams made multiple highlight plays.
On the very first drive of the game with the starting offense against the starting defense, Williams made his presence known.
Starting quarterback Geno Smith hit Williams for a 36-yard touchdown, Brian Costello of the New York Post shared on X.
Brian Costello of the New York Post also pinpointed another highlight that involved rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik hitting Williams in stride for a “66-yard beautiful pass.”
Coach Is Taking Notice
“Yeah, well, players like that demand respect, they demand reps. And that’s what you want, you want that in every player. It’s no surprise to anybody, coaches, players, that he operates the way he operates. I think what makes him such a special player, because I guess from the outside in, everybody looks at him as a special teams player. But, man, there’s room for him in our offense, and there’s a number of things he can do for our offense,” head coach Aaron Glenn explained when asked about Williams’ emergence.
“Even though I love the kick return and punt return ability, man there’s some things he can do on our offense that, listen, we’re going to have to give him the ball some way. We got to figure out a way to make sure that he’s involved because he’s an explosive player,” Glenn added.
Williams, 25, was primarily used as a return man in 2025. That was a role in which he excelled. Williams scored two return touchdowns and finished with 1,233 total return yards (combining punt and kick returns).
It was a unique path for the former undrafted free agent. He didn’t start last season on the Jets’ roster. After making mistakes midway through the season, the Jets cut him. After receiving a few days to gather his thoughts, the team brought him back. Williams used that time away to refocus and ended up earning the team MVP honors for the year.
“Listen, it just goes back to what I was saying when you guys asked me, man he’s a dude. The more guys you can have like that on your team, and we have a number of guys like that now, the more guys you can have like that, the better your team will be,” Glenn said.
More Insider Reactions to Williams
“Williams has been one of the most productive players in camp; he’s a lock for the WR4 job. Whenever his name is mentioned, Glenn lights up. He caught five balls in the scrimmage, including a 36-yard TD from Smith,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared in his observations from the scrimmage.
The Jets have three clear options ahead of him. That group includes Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, and Omar Cooper Jr. Williams is the next guy up if any of those guys go down or need rest.
The most exciting part if you’re a Jets fan is the depth. Gang Green hasn’t had a lot of good receivers in recent memory, let alone depth. The Jets have a straw that stirs the drink and other options beyond that. A refreshing change.
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