Utah State QB Levi Williams Will Skip Senior Season to Begin Navy SEAL Training

Utah State quarterback Levi Williams is forfeiting his final year of eligibility at the end of the season to train for the Navy SEALs.

"I just want to be in a spot where I can protect this great country where we get to play football with the freedom to do that," he said Monday on KSL Sports Zone's Hans & Scotty. "So I'd like to keep it that way and protect it as long as I can."

Williams spent five years in college between spells with Wyoming and Utah State. Over the past two seasons with the Aggies, he threw for 322 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

The 6'5" signal-caller was eligible to spend one more season at Utah State. Instead, his collegiate career will end after the team's upcoming bowl game.

Williams will leave Logan, Utah, on a high. He threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 153 yards and three scores in his team's 44-41 victory over New Mexico in the final week of the regular season.

Williams explained how he knew there would be a life after football and felt the time was right to pivot in a new direction. In addition, joining the military was a natural choice because of his family's history of service.

"The timeline with training and stuff, it just kind of works out perfectly to get in this year," he said. "My mom was Army. My grandparents were Navy and Army. So it kind of runs in the family."

Williams' future father-in-law was in the Army as well.

After spending the next year training for the SEALs, he'll know in February 2025 whether he'll be selected.