There aren't many players held in higher reverence in recent Alabama football history than Julio Jones. He commands the respect of the new generation of players. He's an all-time great, both at Alabama and in the NFL. The future Hall-of-Famer lives a quiet life. You don't hear a lot about him, but he pops up in Tuscaloosa from time to time. And when he does, he grabs the attention of the players.
That's especially true of sophomore WR Ryan Williams, who is a fellow south Alabama native and has long looked up to and admired Jones. They're from the same neck of the woods and both came to Tuscaloosa with significant hype.
Jones may be the single most important recruit in Alabama football history. His decision to sign with the Crimson Tide in the 2008 class was the surest sign that things were about to be different early in the Nick Saban era.
Williams' recruitment was vital, too. The long-time Alabama commitment decommitted from the Crimson Tide following Nick Saban's retirement. But Kalen DeBoer reeled him back into the class in what remains the single most important recruitment DeBoer has had since becoming the Tide's head coach.
Jones was in attendance for last weekend's game against LSU, and Williams revealed earlier this week that he was able to chat with Jones ahead of the game and the advice he received from one of the greatest to ever wear an Alabama uniform.
“Just a couple basic things, just to help out in routes and when the ball is in the air," Williams said.
A healthy Ryan Williams is pivotal for Alabama football down the stretch
Williams hasn't been 100% for the majority of the season, which has had a major negative impact on the offense as a whole. He appears to be closer to that threshold, however, and his exclusion from Wednesday night's first availability report for the Oklahoma game is a positive sign that he is as healthy as he has been in recent weeks.
Williams was listed as "probable" for most of the week last week leading up to the LSU game. He ended up catching three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown in the Tide's 20-9 win.
With Oklahoma's pass rush - coupled with Alabama's inability to run the football - the quick passing game could prove pivotal to the success of the offense. There aren't many in college football better with the ball in their hands than Williams. Turning a couple quick passes into big plays could go a long way in preventing this game from coming down to the wire.