Nohl Williams attended Pacifica High School in California, where he was a two-way player on offense and defense and returned punts as well. As a senior in 2019, he registered a career high in tackles with 74 and seven interceptions. He was named the league's Defensive Back of the Year.
Williams was a consensus three-star prospect who committed to UNLV to play football. He started five games as a true freshman and collected 25 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. In 2021 as a sophomore, he played in 10 games with eight starts and contributed 33 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups. He earned honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference after playing 11 games and registering a career high 40 tackles. WIlliams also had three interceptions and one forced fumble. After the season, the Rebel cornerback entered the transfer portal and eventually transferred to the University of California.
In 2023, the redshirt junior started all 13 games and tallied a career-high of 53 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. Williams entered the 2024 season as the starting cornerback for the Golden Bears.