The last two seasons have been about change for UL redshirt senior Terrence Williams.
Most of that stretch included learning a new position after playing running back his first two seasons in Lafayette.
Then came a new defensive coordinator prior to his first full season at linebacker, which required learning a new playbook.
This time around, the change comes with elevated expectations.
He’s still got plenty of things to learn, but the training wheels are off. The inside linebacker room needs the 6-foot-1, 223-pounder from Many High to perform.
“I feel more prepared than last year,” Williams said. “Last year was my first actual time getting snaps in the game at linebacker since high school.”
Inside linebackers coach Scott Stoker has noticed an uptick.
“He's worked very hard at it and he had a great spring,” Stoker said. “It's just knowing it and being able to play fast. I think he's not even the same person he was a year ago at this time.”
Last season, Williams was credited with 20 tackles in 14 games as a reserve. The spring served as the first big step toward a more productive 2025.
“During the offseason, I was trying to be intentional about the details of the position — the run fits, the drop responsibilities, reading run/pass ... and my tackling,” Williams said. “So I feel like I've taken a big step in that role, along with the whole defense.”
Williams notes his biggest improvement is footwork.
“Last year, my footwork wasn't as good as it could have been,” he said. “So just being intentional and working on the detail of the footwork, reading the guards ... keeping my shoulder squared to the line of scrimmage, things like that.”
Stoker mentioned the transformation doesn’t “happen overnight,” but the best thing about Williams coming from offense is he hadn’t developed any bad habits at linebacker.
Stoker believes the next step for Williams is training his eyes.
“Everything in college football now is to get basically the backer's eyes in bad spots,” he said. “You know, with all the motions, the speed motions, cross motions, empties, and it's just really trying to get your eyes in bad spots. It's hard to have eye control. A lot of people don’t have good eyes.”
As Williams explained, “Don’t get nosy in the A gap. Let the other person do their job. Do your 1-11 and make the play.”
Williams is concentrating heavily on using his hands in camp.
“Being consistent with my hands,“ he said. “I feel like in the run game, striking and winning with your hands is important at the line of scrimmage. You know, that could be the difference between making a play and it being a 1-yard gain or a 5-yard gain.”
Williams said the pressure is on the whole defense in its second season under defensive coordinator Jim Salgado.
“Because it's your second year in the system, you have no excuse,” Williams said. “You know what you're supposed to do. You know this is your second time coming through an offseason with it being faster to the run fits or being faster in the drops.”
Williams knows he's not alone. He's part of what appears to be a five-man rotation on the inside linebacker depth chart. He's joined by Jaden Dugger, Jake St. Andre, Kailep Edwards and Caleb Kibodi.
"That's what I'm hoping on," Stoker said of the rotation, "but you don't really know how the season goes until it kind of goes. That's the process that we're starting with, and like I said, those five guys, I feel very comfortable with it at any point in the game."
Williams also feels supported by an improved defensive front.
"We've got dogs upfront," he said. "A lot of people are going to have to double those guys. They're going to have to use two linemen to double them, so that's going to open up the run game and run through for the linebackers."