Jackson State's Jeremiah Williams earns Vikings rookie minicamp invite after draft

Jeremiah Williams did not hear his name called in the draft, but the Jackson State defensive lineman still earned a real chance to keep his NFL push alive. The Minnesota Vikings invited Williams to rookie minicamp, giving the 6-foot-2, 314-pound redshirt senior from Lexington, Mississippi, a tryout opportunity after a 2024 season that made him one of the most productive front-line defenders in the SWAC.

Williams brings a resume built on production, not projection. He played in all 14 games last season and finished with 58 total tackles, 22 solo stops, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and four quarterback hurries. His best individual outing came against Florida A&M on Oct. 19, when he posted a season-high nine tackles. He also delivered in Jackson State’s biggest moments, recording a season-high two tackles for loss against South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 and earning the game’s Defensive Most Valuable Player award.

That production helped power a Jackson State team that finished 12-2, won the SWAC title for the third time in four years, captured the Celebration Bowl and claimed the HBCU national championship. Williams entered the 2025 season as a Preseason First Team All-SWAC selection and was also named to the 2025 FCS Football Central preseason All-American team, a sign that his 2024 breakout had already pushed him into national conversation before the next snap was played.

The Vikings invitation matters because minicamp is where undrafted players can still change their future. It is not a contract, but it is a doorway to a roster spot or practice squad opportunity, and Minnesota has shown in past years that it will give large groups of newcomers a look, including 51 participants in its 2025 rookie minicamp with 20 undrafted rookies and 20 tryout invitees. The franchise also has a reputation for finding overlooked talent, including Adam Thielen.

For Jackson State, Williams’ invite is another sign that the program’s defensive line still carries NFL weight even when draft-day attention leans elsewhere. He joined head coach T.C. Taylor and teammate Jacobian Morgan at SWAC media day in 2025, and now his path runs through Eagan, Minnesota, where he must prove that his size, leverage and production translate against professional competition. In a post-draft market that still gave FCS players seven selections and left room for more through free-agent deals and minicamp tryouts, Williams remains exactly the kind of name Jackson State has been turning into a pro-level proposition.