North Carolina Central University (NCCU) didn’t have to leave the Triangle to find its latest recruiting pickup. Cairo Williams, a three-star safety at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, has committed to the HBCU for the 2027 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back brings a notable offer sheet to the Durham HBCU, with Wisconsin, Michigan State, SMU, and Louisville among the programs that offered him scholarships. Rivals lists his commitment date as October 6.
For Central, the appeal goes beyond adding another name to its recruiting class. The Eagles are keeping a highly regarded North Carolina prospect close to home—one whose recruitment attracted attention from both the Big Ten and ACC.
Cairo Williams brings top-50 safety credentials
Rivals gives Williams an 89 rating and ranks him as the No. 48 safety nationally and the No. 18 overall prospect in North Carolina. Meanwhile, 247Sports rates him an 88, placing him No. 65 among safeties and No. 25 in the state. Those are the services’ individual evaluations, separate from the Rivals Industry composite.
His production at Millbrook helps explain that attention.
As a sophomore in 2024, Williams recorded 70 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and four interceptions. He also added seven pass breakups and a forced fumble, earning a spot on HighSchoolOT’s 919 All-Region team. That résumé shows a defender contributing against both the pass and the run.
One performance offered a particularly loud introduction. Williams earned recognition in HighSchoolOT’s weekly “Starting 22” after recording nine tackles, three interceptions, and a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown during Week 3 of that season.
The recruiting rankings draw attention. Those numbers give the attention some substance.
An HBCU opportunity close to home
Williams’ decision gives NCCU a commitment from a Triangle-area prospect with an offer list stretching well beyond North Carolina.
Wisconsin and Michigan State brought Big Ten interest. SMU and Louisville added ACC programs to the mix. Williams ultimately committed to an HBCU a short trip from his high school, rather than attaching his name to one of those Power Four programs.
That makes this a meaningful local recruiting win for the Eagles. It also gives Central a player whose size, high school production, and recruiting evaluations make him an intriguing addition to its future secondary.
The program has a relevant example of what success at that position can look like.
In 2022, NCCU safety Khalil Baker earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors and first-team FCS All-America recognition. He also won the inaugural Aeneas Williams Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back in HBCU Division I football.
Baker capped the season with 10 tackles, leading the team, and Defensive MVP honors in Central’s Celebration Bowl victory. His accomplishments give the Eagles a proven example of a safety from Durham reaching the national stage.
Williams still has to turn his commitment into a college career. For now, however, NC Central has something worth celebrating: a productive local defensive back with Power Four offers choosing to build his future at an HBCU close to home.