Introduction
Kasen Williams (born December 5, 1992) is an American football wide receiver who plays for the Seattle Dragons of the XFL. He played college football at Washington.
Early life
Williams attended Skyline High School in Sammamish, Washington, east of Seattle, where he lettered in football, track, and basketball. He received numerous awards in high school, including the Parade All-America National Player of the Year, MaxPreps.com's National Player of the Year, and was also named a first team All-American by USA Today, ESPN, and Maxpreps.com. After receiving multiple offers from other major programs, Williams committed to Washington just prior to his senior year at Skyline on August 27, 2010.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40 | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasen Williams WR |
Sammamish, Washington | Skyline High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | 4.60 | Aug 28, 2010 |
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 2 (WR) Rivals: 13 (WR), 2 (Washington) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
As a true freshman at Washington in 2011, Williams appeared in all 13 games as a wide receiver and punt returner. He finished the season with 36 receptions for 427 yards and 6 touchdowns. In 2012, Williams started every game as a sophomore and earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors. He totaled 77 catches, earning him third place on the Huskies' all-time single-season reception list, and tallied 878 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. As a junior in 2013, he started every game until a season-ending broken fibula against California in late October. Head coach Steve Sarkisian departed that December and was succeeded by Chris Petersen. Williams played in every game in his senior season in 2014, starting six; he finished with a career-low 20 receptions for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Professional career
Due to not receiving an invitation to the NFL Combine in 2015, Williams received minimal attention from professional scouts.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
218 lb (99 kg) |
4.63 s | 1.64 s | 2.67 s | 4.47 s | 7.05 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) |
9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) |
17 reps | |||
| All values from the University of Washington Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Cincinnati Bengals
Unselected in the 2015 NFL Draft, Williams signed with the Cincinnati Bengals shortly after, but was released in May after a failed physical.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks signed Williams to a rookie mini-camp contract, where he impressed coaches with his sure-handed catching ability, and he was signed by the team on June 12, 2015, but released on September 5. The next day, on September 6, he was signed to their practice squad. On December 26, Williams was signed to the Seahawks' 53-man roster, replacing tight end Anthony McCoy who was put on injured reserve.
On September 3, 2016, Williams was released by the Seahawks as part of final roster cuts, and was then signed to their practice squad. On September 13, he was released from the Seahawks' practice squad, then re-signed to the practice squad on September 21. On December 27, he was promoted to the Seahawks' active roster to replace the injured Tyler Lockett.
In 2017, Williams caught four passes for 119 yards in his first preseason game on August 13, and caught a touchdown the next week against the Minnesota Vikings. Despite a strong preseason, Williams was waived by the Seahawks on September 2.
Cleveland Browns
The following day on September 3, 2017, Williams was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns, but was waived on November 16 and was re-signed to their practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Browns on January 1, 2018, but was waived on April 30.
Indianapolis Colts
Williams signed with the Indianapolis Colts on May 11, 2018, but was waived on September 1.
Seattle Dragons
Williams was selected by the Seattle Dragons in the 7th round of the 2020 XFL Draft on October 15, 2019. He missed the first two games of the season with a quadriceps injury.
Personal life
Williams' father Aaron also played college football at Washington; he was a standout wide receiver for the Huskies from 1979–1982 under head coach Don James. Kasen's sister Kiara played soccer at Arizona State University from 2009–2012.