Alabama produced eight first-round NFL wide receivers during Nick Saban’s 17 seasons as head coach, including DeVonta Smith, Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper and Julio Jones.

Freshman Ryan Williams appears to be next in line for the Crimson Tide.

“He’s in line with the guys they’ve had in the past,” Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said of Williams. “Super fast, talented, confident with the ball, great ball skills, great speed. He is a track and field athlete who was among the elite as a junior. He comes out and is already showing a high level. I don’t think he’s very scared or nervous.”

The 17-year-old freshman has 10 catches for 285 yards and four touchdowns in three games. He leads the FBS with a 28.5 yards per catch average heading into Saturday’s game against Georgia in Tuscaloosa.

“There’s a lot of hype around him, but I think he just handles it so gracefully,” first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said Wednesday.

Georgia All-American safety Malaki Starks leads a defense that will try to keep Williams from making big plays.

“Don’t let age fool you,” Starks said. “He can go. …He’s a young player in the SEC, blah, blah, blah. But he can play. You have to have your Ps and Qs in check, just be on the same page. He has a large catch radius. He’s fast. He’s fast. He can move.”

Williams didn’t enroll at Alabama until the summer. DeBoer said he immediately saw a “fluidity” and natural ability in chasing the ball.

What was “50-50 balls” for other receivers, Williams caught much more often.

He didn’t take a step back during the offensive installation.

“He just puts everything into it,” DeBoer said. “He has this smile on his face and this energy. Every single day was so consistent.”

Arian Smith, a senior wide receiver from Georgia who can be a vertical threat, raved about what he’s seen from Mobile’s 6-foot-1, 175-pound Williams.

“This is crazy,” Smith said. “I’ve never seen a child like that before. He will be a good receiver in this league. Seeing him do that at a young age just blows my mind.”

This article originally appeared in the Athens Banner-Herald: Alabama freshman Ryan Williams is viewed by Georgia as the Crimson Tide’s next great WR