Auburn WR D’haquille Williams turning heads this spring

One of the most anticipated JUCO transfers in college football is Auburn wide receiver D’haquille Williams.

Auburn hoped the silky smooth glider would make a big impact on the Tigers this season and create one of the top receiving duos in college football with Sammie Coates. The JUCO All-American caught 67 passes for 1,295 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2012; Williams caught 51 passes for 733 yards and nine touchdowns in 2013.

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Safety Jermaine Whitehead said Williams reminds him of Coates.

“D’haquille is probably going to be a great player for us this year,” safety Jermaine Whitehead told AL.com. “He reminds me a lot of Sammie. He can get vertical fast. He also likes to put his foot in the ground and make plays across the field.”

Williams is practicing at the boundary receiver in Rhett Lashlee and Gus Malzahn’s offense this spring.

Lashlee said Williams has God-given abilities that will bring value to the Tigers’ receiving corps.

“You can tell why we needed him and why we wanted him,” Lashlee said. “He’s got God-given abilities that are really good, and I think he’ll really add value to our wide receiving corps.”

Williams’ emergence and ability can really help Auburn’s offense, but it still comes back to Nick Marshall’s progression as a quarterback, with his reads, decision making and accuracy. I like Marshall’s passing game to improve – he was one of the most improved players in the SEC last season; therefore, the coaching staff has to love Williams as a legitimate weapon beside Sammie Coates, who averaged 21.5 yards per reception last year.

Gus Malzahn’s offense is already potent enough; with Williams making plays on the outside, it could be dangerous.

Practice Notes:

Patrick Miller and Shon Coleman are battling to replace left tackle Greg Robinson. Right tackle Avery Young could be a candidate for the position, too, if Miller or Coleman doesn’t work out. Young is emerging as a leader this spring.

OC Rhett Lashlee said the emphasis this spring is on better ball security.

Lashlee said the Tigers will likely use three running backs to start the season to see which one takes over. The three this spring are Cameron Artis-Payne, Corey Grant and Peyton Barber.

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