SAN JOSE, Calif. — DeVonta Smith doesn’t talk much, especially on camera.

But during Alabama’s media day in Miami ahead of the Orange Bowl semifinal vs. Oklahoma, Smith was a regular chatterbox when talking about who was faster or better at basketball between him and fellow sophomore wide receiver Henry Ruggs III.

Neither would relent, and both claimed they were better than the other like siblings arguing in front of family at a reunion. The camera was rolling, but it was clear the brotherhood was genuine.

“It really just came out of nowhere,” Smith said of his bond with Ruggs. “When I got here, I wasn’t the type of person to talk to anybody. I was quiet and to myself. He brought me out of that shell. I can trust anybody on this team, but he’s somebody I became real close with.”

Smith, a native of Amite, La., and Ruggs, a native of Montgomery, Ala., grew up nearly 350 miles apart, but coming to Tuscaloosa has united the kindred spirits.

“We’re kind of alike,” Smith said. “We don’t really do anything other than sit inside all day. It’s just the bond we’ve created from chilling with each other.”

Smith and Ruggs are two of Alabama’s immensely talented quartet of wide receivers that also includes sophomore Jerry Jeudy and true freshman Jaylen Waddle.

They’ll be a featured part of Alabama’s offensive attack when the top-ranked Crimson Tide faces No. 2 Clemson in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night inside Levi Stadium.

We’ve seen Alabama feature Julio Jones (2008-10), Amari Cooper (2012-14) and Calvin Ridley (2015-17), but never has Alabama had four players who could be go-to options on any given Saturday.

All four have multiple games with 100 or more receiving yards. All four have 6 or more receiving touchdowns. All four will take the top off a defense if you’re not careful. And arguably the best part for Alabama fans is, all four will be back at least one more season.

“That’s just it. You have four of them,” Alabama running backs coach Joe Pannunzio said. “A lot of teams have one dynamic guy, and some complementary guys. We have four of those guys, and they’re all a little bit different.”

‘They’re all a little bit different’

Jerry Jeudy: ‘Crafty’

All of Alabama’s receivers are on equal footing, but from a national standpoint, Jeudy has separated himself to a degree. Jeudy took home the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver this season. He has posted 63 catches for 1,176 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was also named a consensus All-American.

In the open field, Jeudy has similarities to former Alabama running back Derrick Henry. Defenders would appear to have an angle on Henry, but he would glide past them for a long touchdown. Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley called it “deceptive” speed.

“(Jeudy’s) ability to win and create space at the top of the route is tremendous,” Locksley said. “His speed is deceptive. Very few times will you see anyone catch Jerry, and you’ll also see him run by people.”

Jeudy has mastered the art of the dead-leg juke as well. So much so, that he juked an LSU defender into tackling other LSU defenders earlier this year.

His route running rivals that of Cooper and Ridley, who were both incredibly polished during their times in college.

“Crafty, man. He changes it up a lot,” said Alabama defensive backs coach Karl Scott. “You really can’t get a beat off his releases and route running. He makes the same things look different and different things look the same when it comes to his route running.”

DeVonta Smith: ‘Smooth’

Scott (jokingly) gets upset with Smith at practice. During the offseason, Smith worked with both the receivers and defensive backs because of depth issues in the secondary. Smith didn’t forget what he picked up during those workouts.

“A lot of times he uses some of the stuff he learned from me or coach (Nick Saban) against us in practice,” Scott said. “I get on to him sometimes about that.”

Everyone interviewed for this story used the same word to describe Smith: smooth. Smith isn’t a burner like Ruggs or Waddle, and he hasn’t shown off Jeudy’s plethora of juke moves. He just controls the flow at his own pace.

“Smitty just smooth,” tight end Irv Smith Jr. said. “He ain’t gon’ shake you for real, but he gon’ beat you off the line. He gon’ catch the ball. No matter where it is, he gon’ catch it.”

DeVonta Smith showed that on a diving catch into the end zone at Bryant-Denny Stadium this year. He catches pretty much everything thrown his way. If not for a hamstring injury that limited him, Smith’s numbers would likely be better, but he has still caught 36 passes for 628 yards and 6 touchdowns.

But it’s his ability to keep defenders off balance with his “smooth” play that makes him a dangerous weapon.

“He cuts down your reaction time as a DB because he doesn’t give you any hint of when he’s going to be breaking or making a cut,” Scott said.

Henry Ruggs III: ‘Burner’

Scott has seen and heard the receivers debating who is the fastest, and while he won’t get into it, he was clear that Ruggs would be at the top of the podium if there were an actual race.

If Ruggs gets to the sideline, your chances of catching him are zero.

But Ruggs is much more than his speed. Pound for pound, he may be one of the most physical and tough players on the team. He breaks tackles. He makes tough, contested catches, including impressive one-hand grabs.

“He is such a powerful receiver,” Locksley said. “He’s that guy that catches a slant and can break tackles. He also has elite speed. … I like to call him the Energizer bunny. He’s the guy that can take a ton of reps, run fast all four quarters and get stronger as the game goes on.”

Ruggs has caught 45 passes for 738 yards and 11 touchdowns. You can’t ignore the long speed, but Waddle mentioned another area Ruggs is underrated in.

“Sneaky on his technique,” Waddle said. “People don’t think he’s real technical, but he’s got real good technique coming off the line. Speed helps him a lot with that.”

Jaylen Waddle: ‘Dynamite’

Waddle could have looked at Alabama’s depth chart and decided to go elsewhere. It was clear that with Ridley, Robert Foster and Cam Sims moving on, Jeudy, DeVonta Smith and Ruggs would step into those roles. Waddle could have been the featured player for many offenses around the country, but he wanted more.

“Not being afraid to really compete and learn from guys that you look up to,” Waddle said. “It helps to know that they’re there and willing to help you.”

The sophomore trio has taken Waddle in, and Smith calls him the “nephew of the group.”

Ruggs’ speed may only be matched by Waddle’s. In the SEC Championship Game, Waddle cut down the a Georgia defender’s angle, got to the sideline and outran everyone for a score. The defender could only get a hand on his shoulder as Waddle exploded down the field. Locksley called Waddle “lightning in a bottle.”

Waddle hauled in 43 receptions for 823 yards and 7 touchdowns.

“He’s dynamite,” Scott said. “He’s a guy who can do a lot of different things. He’s a guy who can go 0 to 60 real quick. Great hands. Here’s a kid who comes from a long distance away (Bellaire, Texas) and didn’t care who was on the roster because he was going to bet on himself. He’s reaping the benefits of that now.”

‘Everybody eating at this point’

Everything’s an argument off the field. The video of Ruggs and Smith arguing about basketball with Waddle urging them on in the background was just a small glimpse.

Basketball, video games and racing are just a few things up for debate when the quartet gets together.

“It’s real competitive,” Waddle said. “We all think we’re NBA players. That basketball talk really gets everybody fired up, but the bond is great. We all hang with each other on and off the field.”

Added Smith, “No matter what it is, we’re always going to say one is better than the other.”

That bond has helped Alabama field arguably the best receiving group in the country. How many other teams have a fourth receiver as good as Waddle? That doesn’t even include Irv Smith or the trio of running backs — Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris — who are all game breakers.

On any day, any one of these four receivers could be the featured option for Alabama. A lot of receivers have a “diva” personality and demand touches, but this group is content flourishing as a unit.

“With so much talent, it’s going to be tough for everybody to get the ball, but if you look at all our stats, everybody eating at this point,” Irv Smith said. “If we were singled out, everyone would have more stats, but we’re worried about the team at the end of the day.”

Superlatives courtesy of Jaylen Waddle

The top debate among these four receivers seems to be who is the fastest among the group. All four have great speed, but there can only be one.

We asked Waddle to offer some superlatives, including who is the fastest.

Best NBA 2K: “Smitty” (DeVonta Smith)

Best basketball player: “Me” (Jaylen Waddle)

Fastest: “I think Ruggs” (Henry Ruggs III)

Best trash talker: “I’ll go with Jeu. His trash talk be funny.” (Jerry Jeudy)

Funniest: “I’ma go Jerry. He’s more laid back, but when he do say stuff, it be pretty funny.”