TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There are plenty of reasons why Ryan Williams should keep defenders up at night.

Through two games, the five-star freshman receiver leads Alabama with six catches for 207 yards and three touchdowns. His acceleration off the line of scrimmage and smooth route-running ability have made him the Crimson Tide’s biggest deep-ball threat. That’s helped him rank fourth nationally averaging 34.5 yards per catch.

Williams is also slippery. He’s already forced three missed tackles and has picked up 130 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. And when it comes to reeling in the ball, he’s been flawless, avoiding drops on any of the on-target passes thrown his way.

Those traits were expected when Williams reclassified to join Alabama as the No. 4 player in this year’s class. However, the five-star talent also leads the Crimson Tide’s receiving corps in an unexpected category.

Blocking.

That’s right, Alabama’s 17-year-old receiver is holding his own against grown men at the college level — all 6-foot, 175 pounds of him. According to PFF, Williams has earned a 76.6 run-blocking grade over the Tide’s first two games. That is the third-highest grade on the team and tops all Alabama players with at least 40 run-blocking snaps to their names.

Those numbers might come as a surprise to some given Williams’ slight frame. However, Alabama receivers coach Jamarcus Shephard sees things a bit differently.

“I guess I would ask you guys, what when you look at somebody tells you [they are a] blocker. I don’t really know what that is,” Shephard said Wednesday. “Blocking is about effort and body position. If you can get into great body position and you have great effort, then that’s great blocking. I don’t know how to tell guys that any better. It’s not about how big you are. It’s not about how strong you are.”

During last weekend’s 42-16 win over Wisconsin, Williams led all Alabama players with a 78.2 grade over 32 run-blocking snaps. Among Tide receivers with significant run-blocking snaps, Germie Bernard was second-highest with a 58.9 mark.

That doesn’t surprise Shephard either.

“Really, to be honest about it, Ryan should be our best blocker,” Shephard said. “He’s really quick. So when you’re really quick you should be able to get your body in position. You know where the play is going. A lot of that is understanding. Who? How? And then you’ve got to want to, you’ve got to want to do it.”

So far, there’s been no doubting Williams’ willingness to get his hands dirty. The red-hot receiver will look to keep up his blue-collar style of play this weekend as No. 4 Alabama faces a physical Wisconsin defense. The Crimson Tide will travel up north to take on the Badgers at 11 a.m. Saturday inside Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be televised on FOX.