Following five years at Clemson, Tre Williams has one year of eligibility remaining, and the graduate senior will spend it in Ann Arbor.

After transferring to Michigan for the 2025 season, Williams recently joined the In the Trenches Podcast. The 6-foot-2, 315-pound defensive lineman discussed a number of different topics, including why he decided to choose the Wolverines for his final college campaign.

“Why not come to Ann Arbor? You guys have everything somebody like me could want,” Williams said. “Great history of defensive tackles, defensive linemen, great defenses, great tradition just with the school and the alumni base. There’s no reason why I wouldn’t have came here.”

Williams played at Clemson from 2020-24, and he appeared in 44 games (four starts) across his five seasons with the Tigers. He tallied 42 tackles (10 for loss), four sacks, two pass breakups and three fumble recoveries while helping the Tigers make the College Football Playoff in 2020 and 2024.

Last season, Williams was a key part of the rotation, logging 300 snaps with three starts. He finished the 2024 campaign with 16 tackles (three for loss), two sacks, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.

Williams explained what he’ll bring to the table for the Michigan football program – both on the field as a player, and off of it as a person.

“On the field, I bring leadership, passion, experience, big game experience, physicality. I try to be – I don’t want to say a tone setter, but I kind of want to set the example and be the example,” he said.

“[Off the field, I’m] just a very family oriented guy, someone who believes in tight-knit groups, someone who wants to bring people together, bring people along. Just a friendly guy who you can always talk to, just being the old head in the locker room.”

Williams has been plagued by injuries in his career, making him appreciate the game of football all the more when he is healthy and able to play.

“I’ve had football taken away from me,” he said. “I’ve had a bunch of injuries, minor setbacks, and nothing is worse than when the game is away from you. It’s very easy to take the game for granted when you have it all the time and you can do it every day. But it’s those days when you can’t and you’re on the sidelines watching. … I think those times brought my love for football way up, like even more than it already was when I was a kid – just a deeper appreciation for it.”