JAMARCUS SHEPHARD COULDN'T be sure until he watched Ryan Williams burn past the Western Kentucky secondary in Week 1. But for Alabama's first-year wide receivers coach, there were signs in the summer of just how good the Crimson Tide's 17-year-old, pass-catching wunderkind could be.
Days after arriving at Alabama, Williams told trainers that he wanted to be put on the same training plan as former Crimson Tide wide receiver DeVonta Smith. Soon, the five-star freshman was performing the flexibility and mobility regimen that powered Alabama's 2020 Heisman Trophy winner.