After Alabama defeated Arkansas by 32 points last Saturday, Jalen Hurts gave reporters a very basic summary of his job responsibilities.

"My job is to throw it to whoever is open," he said.

In the victory over Arkansas, the receiver who met that criterion most of the time was Calvin Ridley. Ridley caught all four passes that came his way, leading the team in catches and receiving yards.

This wasn't anything remotely unusual.

Ridley is the centerpiece of the Crimson Tide's passing game.

Hurts and his understudy, Tua Tagovailoa, have thrown the ball to him 49 times this season. No other Alabama player has had more than 17 opportunities to catch a pass.

In part, that's because Ridley has been the most consistent receiving option. He's played 58 more snaps than any other Crimson Tide wideout while accounting for 35 percent of the team's receiving yards and 33 percent of its catches.

When Ridley suffered a leg injury in the second half of Alabama's victory over Texas A&M earlier this month, head coach Nick Saban noted the effect of the void left by Ridley.

"I think when Calvin went out of the game there was a little bit of an absence there, of guys who can step up and make a play," he said.

Entering the game against Arkansas, Ridley had a 41 percent threat percentage (rate of times targeted per aimed pass), according to ProFootballFocus.com.

That's unusually high.

But it makes sense.

After all, this season, Ridley has added responsibilities in first-year coordinator Brian Daboll's offense.

"I play the slot a lot more," he said.

Before last Saturday, he lined up there 25 percent of the time.

"I like playing inside, outside. I can play anywhere," Ridley said. "I just like to get the ball and help my team win."

It will be interesting to see if Ridley's role will expand further. At the same time the Tide has made a more concerted effort to involve its three freshman wideouts -- Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III -- Alabama marginalized its senior receivers, Robert Foster and Cam Sims. Together, they played a combined total of 37 snaps against the Razorbacks.

When Sims and Foster are on the sideline, Ridley is by far the most experienced receiver on the field.

"We want to play all six players and we can mix and match them or we can play them by series. We have confidence in all six guys," Saban said. "We feel good about however they play in whatever roles we put them in."

That's especially true with Ridley, whose numbers dwarf the ones produced by other players in his position group.

"You can give anybody the ball, no matter who it is," Ridley insisted. "We're going to make the play."

Yet more often than not, Hurts is going to call on No. 3. As the sophomore quarerback would say, Ridley is the most open.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin