Elijah Williams News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/elijah-williams/ Minnesota sports, but different Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:29:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Elijah Williams News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/elijah-williams/ 32 32 4 Most Surprising Players to Make Vikings Roster https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/most-surprising-roster-additions-chambliss-thomas-williams-huber/ Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:12:24 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=67437 The Minnesota Vikings needed to make final decisions on their 53-man roster prior to the 3pm CDT deadline on Tuesday. Most of the starting spots on their roster have been settled since before the start of training camp, but surprising competitions at quarterback and special teams raged on for most of the preseason.

Of course, the Vikings’ roster situation will remain fluid, as the scrounge the waiver wire for more talent and swap players in and out over the coming days. But for now, the “active” roster is set.

There are surprises throughout the final list, but below we have compiled the four most shocking Minnesota Vikings to make the initial 53-man roster.

Chaz Chambliss, Linebacker

A undrafted rookie linebacker out of Georgia, it was Chambliss who nabbed a roster spot on Brian Flores’ defense. Gabriel Murphy wound up being a surprise cut, and it’s the 6’1″ Bulldog that made the grade instead.

As a freshman and sophomore, Chambliss won National Championships with Georgia. He played in 54 games during his time with the Bulldogs and racked up 86 tackles. Last season as a senior, Chambliss posted a career-best 6.5 sacks.

It will be interesting to see how Brian Flores deploys the depth linebacker. Of course the top of the group is loaded with Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Dallas Turner. Chambliss certainly has some good talent to learn from though.

You can certainly make a case for both Kobe King and Austin Keys here. Certainly Keys, another undrafted free agent, would have the upper hand. Obviously Minnesota liked what they saw from the linebacker depth.

Joe Huber, Guard

Minnesota kicked both Dalton Risner and Ed Ingram to the curb this offseason. Will Fries and rookie first round pick Donovan Jackson are taking over at the starting guard spots. Blake Brandel has been the veteran depth there for a while, but it’s undrafted rookie Joe Huber who will now push him along with Michael Jurgens.

Huber was seen as a solid get for Minnesota when they nabbed him following the draft. He has stood out in run blocking schemes all preseason, and that’s an area the interior offensive line struggled last season.

Minnesota will continue to develop Huber, and he’ll get plenty of tough reps in practice going up against the Vikings first-team defense. If he can take steps forward, a nice succession play may emerge down the line.

Elijah Williams, Defensive line

Another undrafted free agent, Williams comes to the Vikings from Morgan State. At 6’3 and 270 pounds, he’s a big boy in the middle of the defensive front. He shouldn’t be expected to take reps from Javon Hargrave or Jonathan Allen, but it’s not a bad duo for him to learn under.

In 12 games last season he had 54 total tackles. Williams racked up 31 sacks over the course of his collegiate career, and 11 of them came in 2024. He should provide some versatility in the middle of Brian Flores’ front, and that’s an intriguing depth piece to have.

You could certainly make a case for wide receiver Myles Price, or tight end Ben Yurosek as well. Both are undrafted free agents and were not expected to stick around.

However, the wide receiver depth is thin and Price can operate in the return game. Yurosek likely got the roster spot ticketed for draft pick Gavin Bartholomew, but he’ll miss the season with a back injury.

Tavierre Thomas, Safety

If there was a spot I saw an unexpected name coming, it wouldn’t have been at safety. Harrison Smith has been doing this thing forever and will start. Both Theo Jackson and Josh Metellus received new contracts and are locked in. Jay Ward is one of the lone remaining draft picks for Adofo-Mensah as well.

It’s possible that Minnesota views Thomas as necessary depth given Smith’s age, recent illness, and the fact that three safeties will likely be on the field for the majority of a game.

Thomas has been in the league for seven seasons and has 98 games of experience under his belt. He’s largely been rotational depth, with just two interceptions and six passes defended, but that what the Vikings need.

The Minnesota Vikings open the regular season on September 8 against the Chicago Bears. The two teams square off at Soldier Field for Monday Night Football.

]]> Tue, 26 Aug 2025 16:29:54 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings Sign Two More Rookies https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/news-rookie-camp-signings-matt-harmon-elijah-williams/ Mon, 12 May 2025 23:34:58 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=63116 The NFL offseason never quits, something that has helped make the Minnesota Vikings the straw that stirs the local sports drink. In the same month as the Super Bowl (February), the league holds the next year’s NFL Draft combine.

One month later, we get the fastest moving, most exciting free agency two weeks in all of professional sports. Then April rolls around and we get the draft. Now, here we are on May 12, what could the MN Vikings possibly have in the news in the middle of May?

Minnesota Vikings round out roster with two more rookie signings

Well, rookie minicamp was held over the weekend at TCO Performance Center in Eagan. There, the Vikings hosted all 25+ of their drafted rookies and signed undrafted free agents, along with 20+ other more desperate football players –including Randy Moss’ son Montigo Moss (Maine) — who were neither drafted or signed.

On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings signed two of those tryout players — (OLB) Matt Harmon out of Kent State and (DL) Elijah Williams out of Morgan State — putting their official offseason roster at its max capacity of 91 players (+1 international exemption – Oscar Chapman), per Ben Goessling (Star Tribune).

Get to know new Minnesota Vikings undrafted rookie, Matt Harmon

Hopefully Matt Harmon has a doctorate degree from Kent State because he was there long enough to get one. From 2018 to 2024 (7 seasons), Harmon played 49 games for the Golden Eagles, totalling 105 tackles, 13 TFLs, 4 sacks, 1 interception and 2 forced fumbles.

His most prolific season was his seventh and final year, where he posted 56 tackles, 7 TFLs and 2 sacks in 12 games. His second best season came in 2021, when he played 14 games, stacking 29 tackles, 3 TFLs and 1 sack. Outside of those two seasons, Harmon never played more than 7 games in a season due to injuries.

Related: How Many 2025 MN Vikings Draft Picks Will Make the Final 53-Man Roster?

After a full season back on the field, the now 25-year-old must be healthy and feeling good. Because out of the 20+ tryout players the Minnesota Vikings brought in over the weekend, only he and Elijah Williams landed spots on the 91-man roster.

Get to know new undrafted rookie, Elijah Williams

Unlike Harmon, Elijah Williams was not at Morgan State long enough to get his doctorate degree. Nonetheless, he did play in 42 games for the Bears in four seasons from 2021-24. While there, the outside linebacker racked up 216 tackles, 52 TFLs, 31 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.

As a senior, Williams put up career highs in games (12) and sacks (11). His 15 tackles for loss were the second most in his career. The 6’3″, 270 lb pass rusher out of New Jersey was a regular in the Bears defense every season he was on campus, playing nine or more games in all four years.

He also posted seven or more sacks in each of his final three seasons. sacks in each of his final three seasons. Now, he’ll go through more rookie workouts over the next couple weeks, before Minnesota Vikings OTAs kickoff at the end of May.

Both guys signed today are obviously still longshots to make the final 53-man roster. But for now, their NFL dreams are still alive.

]]> Mon, 12 May 2025 18:35:19 +0000 Minnesota Vikings