People do not speak on this enough, but Alabama is 3-for-3 in getting wide receivers from the transfer portal.
Nick Saban brought Richard Mullaney to the Crimson Tide in 2015. He was fourth for receiving yards (390) and his five touchdowns were second. Mullaney built chemistry with Jacob Coker, and it allowed the Crimson Tide to win an SEC Championship and a national championship. Gehrig Dieter was a solid addition to Alabama in 2016. He had four touchdown receptions from Jalen Hurts and was impactful on special teams. Dieter helped the Tide to an SEC Championship that season.
RELATED: Five takeaways from Alabama’s victory over Southern Mississippi
After having speedsters like Henry Ruggs and Jaylen Waddle, Saban brought Jameson Williams to Alabama.
A native of St. Louis, Mo., the transfer from Ohio State is having fun in Tuscaloosa. He recorded three touchdowns versus Southern Mississippi at Bryant-Denny Stadium, including two kickoff returns for scores. The 6-foot-2, 189-pounder opened the matchup with a 100-yard kick return touchdown. His acceleration to the end zone had Tide fans on their feet. When he scored on an 83-yard kick return in the fourth quarter, Williams became the first player in Alabama football history to have two kickoff return touchdowns in one game. He also caught one of Bryce Young’s five touchdowns: an 81-yard score in the second quarter.
Jameson Williams is GONE 💨
100-YARD KICK RETURN TO START THE GAME❗️ pic.twitter.com/cIgR6hcHVW
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 25, 2021
Jameson Williams has TWO kickoff return TDs tonight…
and an 81-yard TD catch🔥
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 26, 2021
Williams clocked 23 miles per hour on Alabama’s catapult system. He is the second player (Waddle) in the era of David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea to post the number. As a former four-star in 2019, Williams accounted for 43 percent of the Crimson Tide’s offense. He totaled 258 yards on four touches, while the team had 606 total yards on 59 plays. Williams has 12 catches for 299 receiving yards and three touchdowns in four games. He is averaging 24.9 yards per catch and 75 yards per matchup.
RELATED: Alabama football carries No. 1 ranking into marquee game versus Ole Miss
During his postgame presser, Saban explained why he’s happy to have Williams.
“He’s been great,” Saban said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s a great competitor. He always wants to play on special teams, and do as much as he can to help the team. He’s a dog. He loves playing. He plays hard, he plays fast, and he’s got great speed. That is one of the things we loved about him. He compliments our other guys because he gives us a great vertical threat. He is someone who can stretch the field. Not saying that we don’t have other guys that can do it, but he has a lot of experience. The kickoff returns, two in one game is some kind of record. He is dangerous back there. Jameson has been a real plus for our team and receiving corps.”
Alabama recruited receivers before getting Williams, but adding him allows the young faces to develop.
Bill O’Brien had one explosive weapon as an NFL head coach. DeAndre Hopkins was his wide receiver with the Houston Texans, but O’Brien is back in college football. He has a big-play target in Williams, and the Alabama offense is getting cranked up.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
