“I wouldn’t double him,” JaMarcus Shepherd pushed the right buttons with Ryan Williams

When you have a kid who walks into the facility on the first day and asks to be put on the same practice schedule as Alabama legend DeVonta Smith, a kid who wore the black “Kill Everybody” sign during the Georgia game and did exactly that, When he rips the Bulldogs’ heart out on national television with moves I’ve only seen in the Olympics, you know you can coach him a little harder than others.

Ryan Williams wants to be great. Not just great, but absolutely great. His eyes are on the Heisman Trophy pants of Smith and the other legends who wore the purple and white before him. He doesn’t let that intimidate him. At just 17 years old, he has the mentality of a seasoned veteran. As the children would say: he is a dog.

Williams was probably disappointed last week when he found out he was only human. Who should actually blame him? When you’re doing the things he’s capable of at such a young age, it’s only natural to feel invincible.

Williams scored a touchdown in the first five games of his college career. Last week against South Carolina, he was held out of the end zone and finished with just four catches for 32 yards.

There was a lot of talk about Williams getting dual support from the Gamecocks’ defensive backs last week. WR coach JaMarcus Shepherd put an end to that notion on Wednesday, calling out his freshman receiver through the media.

“I didn’t see it,” Shepherd said in reference to comments about Williams being double-teamed. “Real newbie. He can’t be that smart. He can’t know everything. At some point, as a newbie, you reach your limits and some of your performance tends to decline. I wouldn’t double it.”

There’s a reason Nick Saban wanted to hire Shepherd as his receivers coach, and I’m sure he’ll crack a wry smile when he hears these comments. Saban was famous for sending messages to his team through the media, and that’s exactly what Shepherd is doing here.

Because Williams has that killer instinct. They know it makes him angry to hear his own coach say he won’t double him and to hit the freshman wall after a down play. It probably kept him from sleeping last night.

Williams heard all the noise. As talented as he was, there was no way a 17-year-old would start for Alabama as a senior. And when he was in the starting lineup, the Tide’s receivers obviously weren’t as good as they had been in past seasons. There was no way he would be able to produce at a high level. He’s too young. He’s too thin.

All Williams has done so far is look like one of the best receivers – in any class – in the country. He has developed a special connection with Jalen Milroe and the simple 4+2+6 math has resulted in opposing defenses being fit.

Shepherd refuses to let his young receiver get complacent. One play in which he couldn’t find the end zone was enough for the coach to twist history in his favor and add some fuel to the ever-burning fire at Williams.

The best is yet to come for the young rookie, and after these comments from his position coach, don’t be surprised if we see the best version of Williams we’ve seen yet in Knoxville. When a player relishes the opportunity to play in a hostile environment, that’s the kid he calls Hollywood.