Nohl Williams

Former defensive back at California. 2024: 7 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 51 tackles.

DB · California · Sr. · #3

6′1″ · 200 lb · Oxnard, CA

CFB Index 98 · #1 of 327 cornersLow confidenceConsensus AAKansas City — drafted 2025, Rd 3, Pick 21, #85 overall

The story

Former defensive back at California. 2024: 7 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 51 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to UNLV in 2020.
Transferred from UNLV to California in 2023.
Drafted round 3 by the Kansas City in 2025.

His career, year by year

Recruiting

3★

CB recruit

No. 2145 nationally · Signed with UNLV

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

How it ended

Five seasons at California, 200 tackles, a Consensus All-American season (2024) — drafted at #85 overall by Kansas City.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20205 games

Signed with UNLV3-star out of Pacifica

202211 games

The role got bigger.

All-Mountain Westhonorable_mention

202313 games

Entered the portal

202413 games

All-ACCfirst
All-America8 selectors

2025

Drafted by Kansas Cityround 3, pick 85

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#2145 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2020–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #85

Kansas City · 2025

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

11 honors · 2 categories

🏆

ALL-AMERICA · CONSENSUS

Consensus AA (2024)

7 first-team selectors

🥈

ALL-ACC · 1ST TEAM

All-ACC 1st team (2024)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2024

1 coach

2020–2024

Justin Wilcox

California

Played his entire career under Justin Wilcox.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Kansas CityEntering 2nd NFL season

#85Rd 3 · Pick 21

Kansas CityEntering 2nd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2020UNLV0-6HC: Marcus Arroyo · Run-leaning

2021UNLV2-10HC: Marcus Arroyo · Run-leaning, slow tempo

2022UNLV5-7HC: Marcus Arroyo · Balanced

2023California6-7HC: Justin Wilcox · Run-leaning

2024California6-7HC: Justin Wilcox · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

98All-America level #1 of 327?

Low confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: interceptions (100th percentile). Strength: passes defended (97th percentile). Concern: sacks (25th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Interceptions#1 / 862 · 100th pct

Passes defended#58 / 2892 · 97th pct

Forced fumbles#12 / 700 · 95th pct

Solo tackles#460 / 2892 · 84th pct

Tackles#583 / 2892 · 79th pct

QB hurries#941 / 2892 · 57th pct

Tackles for loss#1909 / 2892 · 27th pct

1.0

Sacks#1455 / 2892 · 25th pct

0.0

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2024 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	4.6	0.0	0.0	1.0
Road6g	3.2	0.2	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	3.0	0.0	0.0	0.4
Weeks 8+6g	5.0	0.2	0.0	0.8

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tosh Lupoi

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Consensus All-American

First team on a majority of the recognized selector lists.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

98 · #1 of 327 corners

Three-star recruit. Now #1 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2024

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	California	51	32	1.0	8	7	1
2023	California	52	37	3.0	3	2	1
2022	UNLV	39	23	1.0	5	3	--
2021	UNLV	33	27	0.0	3	1	1
2020	UNLV	25	14	0.0	1	1	--
Career		200	133	5.0	20	14	3

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2024

W 21–14

at Auburn

2 SOLO · 2 TOT · 14 YDS

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 on the road.

With L. Wilson — 46 AVG · 4 IN 20 · 58 LONG · F. Mendoza — 233 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 84.8 · 12 rush yds (5 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week