TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s a simple math equation, but one Alabama’s opponents are going to have a hard time trying to figure out this season.
Go ahead and get used to hearing "Jalen Milroe to Ryan Williams." That phrase figures to be uttered several times during Crimson Tide games this fall. Chances are, the word that follows it will be “touchdown.”
“I mean, four plus two does equal six, so that’s probably the best thing I can say about it,” Williams, who wears No. 2, said about his connection with Milroe, who wears No. 4. “He always just puts it in a perfect place, and I just got to do my job.”
Williams certainly did his job during No. 5 Alabama’s 63-0 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday night. Making his college debut, the 17-year-old receiver reeled in a pair of deep balls from Milroe, resulting in a team-high 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Williams’ first score seemed almost too easy. Lined up against cornerback Nazir Ward on the perimeter, the freshman receiver blew past the defender to get wide-open down the sideline during a third-and-13 from the Alabama 16-yard line late in the first quarter. From there, Milroe hit him in stride, allowing the Williams to race 84 yards to the end zone.
“Just a simple go-ball, even leavin’,” Williams said. “I just went straight down the sideline and J-Mil gave me a perfect ball. I kept it in stride and got to celebrate with my guys for my first touchdown.”
The second touchdown equation required Williams to show a bit more work. Running a dig route from the right sideline to the middle of the field, the receiver once again broke free in coverage, allowing Milroe to hit him with a strike. After securing the ball at the WKU 33-yard line, Williams juked past a defender in front of him, wriggled free from a defender behind him and galloped into the endzone for a 55-yard score.
“Once again, he put it in a perfect place,” Williams said of Milroe. “The O-line held up perfectly. Everybody just did their job.”
Milroe’s mindset on those two plays was just as simple.
“Shoot, go Ryan run,” he said with a smile.
While both of Milroe’s throws to Williams were right on the money, the quarterback admits it’s pretty hard to overshoot the receiver on a deep ball.
“I’ve got to make sure to warm up, that boy can run,” Milroe said. “... Nah, he’s a key resource for us this year. His speed, his attention to detail, his instincts. He’s a playmaker on the field, so it’s just been great to have him. I got to say it again, that man is 17 years old and he’s ballin’.
Williams was originally supposed to be entering his senior year of high school this fall. Instead, he reclassified to this year’s class where he ranked No. 4 overall. That came after he became the state of Alabama’s first back-to-back Mr. Football recipient in January.
Since joining the Tide this summer, Williams has lived up to his five-star hype, recording big plays in both preseason scrimmages while also dazzling with one-handed grabs in practice. Saturday night served as proof that he’ll be able to carry that production in front of the bright lights.
“He's got that big play capability, as you saw, and he's done a lot of that in practice,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “I was excited to see him get out there and play. … It was impressive that a guy his age can go out there and do the things he's doing. Obviously, we've talked a lot about it. He's got a bright future.”
While Williams seems to have no problem adjusting to the college level on the field, he’s still getting used to his five-star fame on campus.
“Just being in class and people just asking for photos like in the middle of class,” Williams said. “You’re trying not to interrupt the professor.”
That likely won’t get any easier following Saturday’s performance. However, don’t expect Williams to be shy about adding to his touchdown tally moving forward.
