Following a stint in the Canadian Football League, defensive tackle Daymond Williams is returning to the Bay Area Panthers after signing with the team last fall. The 6-foot-2 defender will make his IFL debut in 2025, and he has all the attributes to succeed in this league.
Earlier this year, Williams received interest from the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. This was on the heels of a prolific collegiate career at the University at Buffalo wherein he produced three solid campaigns for the Bulls.
Williams earned All-MAC Second Team honors in 2021 behind 46 tackles, 11 TFL, 6.5 sacks and three passes defensed. Overall, his career totals for the Bulls show 101 tackles (26 TFL), a dozen sacks, eight pass breakups and one interception in 37 contests. He graduated from Buffalo with a Sociology degree in 2023.
Prior to playing at the FBS level, Williams spent two seasons on the gridiron for Cisco College in Texas.
In his final year competing for the Wranglers (2020), he was named as a NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention while the team went undefeated. His efforts compiled 56 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles in 16 total games at Cisco.
Williams is originally from Round Rock, TX where he attended Cedar Ridge High School. He starred for the Raiders in both football and basketball, displaying explosive athleticism and quality skills. Williams had an incredible senior campaign, issuing 66 tackles, 23 TFL and 19 sacks. It attracted 6A All-State and All-Central Texas designations.
Panthers Head Coach Rob Keefe is ecstatic to add a player like Williams to his 2025 rotation.
“Daymond is a powerful, high-motor defensive lineman who has the quickness and athleticism to cause havoc in the backfield,” Coach Keefe offered on Williams. “He is a tough, explosive athlete who plays the game with power and aggression.”
Williams joins an experienced Bay Area defense that allowed only 35.8 PPG in 2024, which was the Western Conference’s best clip.
