Williams grew up in Lawndale and East Garfield Park, two of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in Chicago. In sixth grade, he joined the Garfield Gators youth football team. Williams became a national all-star in eighth grade. Williams attended DePaul College Prep, formerly known as Gordon Tech, where he played basketball and football. He was named captain of the basketball team as a sophomore, coached by Tom Kleinschmidt. As a senior on the football team, he was named first team all-state after recording 74 tackles, eight sacks, nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Williams was a four-star recruit ranked the No. 19 tackle in the nation according to 247Sports.com, and he signed with Michigan State in December 2014 after considering offers from Oregon, Arizona, Missouri, and Penn State, among others. Williams chose the Spartans after hearing fond memories from trusted adults who attended the university.
College career
At Michigan State, Williams redshirted his freshman season. He started two games at nose tackle as a redshirt freshman. As a sophomore in 2017, Williams was named honorable mention All-Big Ten and earned Michigan State's Iron Man award for strength and conditioning. He finished with 31 tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. As a junior, he was a first team All-Big Ten honoree after tallying 53 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Despite being considered a potential NFL draft early entrant, Williams told coach Mark Dantonio he was returning for his senior season to improve as a pass rusher and earn his degree. Coming into his senior season, Williams was on the watchlist for the Outland Trophy. He earned second team All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 2019. Williams recorded 48 tackles including 7.5 for loss, 5.0 sacks and one forced fumble. He participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl following the season. Williams made 42 consecutive starts at defensive tackle, which he considers one of his favorite achievements. He finished his career with 160 tackles, 29 for loss, and 11.5 sacks in his career.
Williams's mother Latasha Williams gave birth to him at the age of 14. He was also raised by Mackenzie Hyde, his third grade teacher whom he considers a godmother. On January 13, 2016, his cousin Antonio Pollards was murdered in a drive-by shooting on the way to school. Williams's brother Corey Hill was killed in a similar drive-by shooting on June 7, 2017. Neither murder has been solved.
