What Georgia’s Kirby Smart thinks about Alabama football’s Ryan Williams

Ryan Williams is making noise for Alabama football. The freshman wideout from Saraland has made 10 catches for the Crimson Tide so far this season, scoring touchdowns on four of them.

The 17-year-old is drawing attention to Tuscaloosa. Including the Tide’s Saturday opponent.

“This is crazy, man. I’ve never seen a kid like that,” Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith said Monday in Athens. “He’s going to be a good receiver in this league, so to see him do that at a young age is just mind-blowing to me, honestly. He will be really good so it will be great to play against him. I hope our guys can go out there and do what they need to do.”

Williams came to Alabama with incredibly high expectations. The Crimson Tide has historically been known for its top receiver talent, from Julio Jones to Devonta Smith, but in recent seasons there has been a lack of top talent at the position.

The rookie appears to be a return to form for the Tide as Kalen DeBoer’s first major recruiting win. A former Crimson Tide defensive coordinator is taking notice as he prepares to lead the Bulldogs into Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“He’s in line with the guys they’ve had in the past,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “Super fast, talented, confident with the ball, great ball skills, great speed. He’s a track and field athlete who was elite as a junior, and then he comes out and is already performing at his best.”

Williams had four catches for 78 yards and a score in Alabama’s game against Wisconsin on September 14. His biggest game of the season came in the opening game against Western Kentucky when he made two catches, both touchdowns, for 139 yards.

With Alabama relying on explosive plays so far this season, the youngster will play a big role on Saturday against the top-ranked Bulldogs.

“I don’t think he has a lot of fear or nervousness,” Smart said. “He’s not one of those people who thinks the moment is too big for him. He jumped right in and performed well in every game. They have a lot of really good players off the perimeter and I think Jalen uses his skills well to get them the ball.”

Alabama and Georgia are scheduled to kick off at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ABC.