The Ole Miss Rebels have tremendous depth at the wide receiver position this season, and that’s thanks in part to young players like Ayden Williams.
Williams, a sophomore from Ridgeland, Mississippi, started 11 of Ole Miss’ 13 games last season, making four pass catches for 80 yards in his appearances. Now that he has a year of college experience under his belt, he notices the game “slows down” for him in practice, and he wants to translate that into more success in 2024.
“The biggest challenge for me was getting all the information and focusing on every little, important detail,” Williams said in a press release on Friday. “That’s what wins you games: the little, important details. So if you understand the entire offense and have time to sit down and learn it, everything will be fine.
“We’re definitely starting to recognize coverages and things like that and knowing where the ball is likely to go before the snap based on the look the defense is giving us.”
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Williams and fellow sophomore Cayden Lee are two of the young names in the Rebels’ receiver room that are garnering the most attention, and playing behind some experienced receivers like Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins and Juice Wells has its advantages from a learning perspective. He believes he and Lee both improved this offseason thanks to the guidance of the more experienced players in the room.
“Our games have improved tremendously from Year 1 to Year 2,” Williams said. “Not just on the field, but knowledge-wise. We understand how the scheme works, how we fit into the scheme, things like that.”
“Every day they pass on little nuggets. Tre, J-Wat (Jordan Watkins), Juice, everyone in the room. All the older guys pass on their knowledge and we just soak it up.”
Williams’ role might increase a bit this year compared to his performance in 2023, but either way, he’s looking to continue to improve his own game. That alone will help the Rebels in their quest for a College Football Playoff berth this season.
“My goal for fall camp is to get better every day,” Williams said. “Work on something. Every day I come here, I get better at one thing, and before you know it, you’re better at the start of the season than you were before.”
Williams and the Rebels will open their season at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on August 31.
