Alabama's co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard has a big task ahead of him — retooling and developing a wide receiver room that lost its top three targets from a season ago.

Fortunately for Shephard, he has one of the most hyped wideout prospects in recent Alabama history — five-star recruit Ryan Williams. Williams is set to join the Crimson Tide this summer.

During an interview on Tide 100.9’s "The Game with Ryan Fowler" on Tuesday, Shephard discussed Williams and his mentality ahead of his first season in Tuscaloosa.

"He's as elite of a human being at this point as he is as a football player," Shephard said. "He's somebody that immediately, we gravitated towards each other. We felt each other's energy, knew we could work well together."

Shephard said that Williams' skill set will allow him to see the field early in his Alabama career. He added that Williams' ability to absorb what he and the rest of the Crimson Tide's coaching staff tell him makes him that much more capable of being a high-impact player next season.

"He's a sponge," Shephard said. "He's dialed in, focused. He wants more. He wants to be coached at a high level. He's not a prima donna that's gonna be frustrated because I'm (coaching a guy tough), he can take tough coaching. It's really rare for a kid who just turned 17 years old."

It's clear Shephard wants to create a strong identity within Alabama's offense and in the receiver room. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native spent the last two seasons with new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer at Washington, where he served as the wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator.

Shephard produced a pair of 1,000-yard wideouts in both of his seasons in Seattle, playing a role in the development of NFL draft hopefuls Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk. He also coached Germie Bernard, who transferred to Alabama after recording 34 receptions for 419 yards and two touchdowns while adding 43 yards and two more scores on the ground with the Huskies last season.

Shephard also has state ties. He said on the show that he has family from Alabama, which could help the Crimson Tide on the recruiting trail. How quickly DeBoer and his staff establish relationships with in-state recruits will be key in maintaining the Crimson Tide's consistently strong performances in recruiting and reeling in the best in-state players going forward.