Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams admits he didn't have the biggest impact on the Crimson Tide's 26-23 overtime triumph against Georgia in January's national championship game.
"I think I got like one snap," Williams said this week.
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound redshirt sophomore from Birmingham is expected to be significantly more noticeable during Saturday's Southeastern Conference title contest between the No. 1 Crimson Tide (12-0) and No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, having emerged this season as one of the most dominant defensive players in college football.
Williams has amassed 58 total tackles, a staggering total for an interior lineman, along with 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a safety.
"He's certainly had an outstanding year for us, no doubt," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "Q always was a little undersized earlier in his career, but he's gotten bigger and stronger. He's a really good athlete. He's got really good initial quickness. He's certainly been very productive for us this year, and it's been very helpful, because we went into the season concerned about how we could rebuild the defensive line.
"Him emerging as a very, very good player has certainly contributed positively to that group and our success on defense."
Alabama entered this season having to replace eight defensive starters, and the rebuilding didn't always go smoothly. The Tide did not dominate defensively during their 45-23 win over Texas A&M on Sept. 22 and especially in their 65-31 victory at Arkansas on Oct. 6.
By early November, however, Alabama looked more like the Alabama of recent seasons, posting consecutive shutouts of LSU (29-0) and Mississippi State (24-0). Williams could not be contained in Baton Rouge, racking up 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in helping the Tide hold the Tigers to 196 yards.
Williams is among the three finalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to college football's defensive player of the year, and the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding interior lineman on either side of the ball, but he admits there are still flaws in his game.
"I have a lot of things to work on, and the main one is being patient," Williams said. "Sometimes I will overplay my duties and overdo what I'm supposed to, and it bites me in the butt, because the running back will cut back or the quarterback will step up in the gap that I was supposed to be pass-rushing in. That's a big one."
Williams will be matched against Georgia senior center Lamont Gaillard, who began his Bulldogs career on the defensive front before moving to offense after his redshirt year in 2014. Gaillard has made a team-high 40 straight starts for the Bulldogs.
"He played and started last year in the championship game, and he had to block Da'Ron Payne," Williams said. "He's a very good player and is smart up front."
Payne was a first-round draft selection of the Washington Redskins this past spring, and Williams has been projected as a first-round pick for 2019 if he chooses to forgo his final two seasons of eligibility. For now, however, Williams is wanting to make his mark on an SEC championship game, and he certainly has the attention this week of the Bulldogs.
From both run defense and pass-rushing standpoints.
"They do a great job of rushing the front of the pocket," Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm said. "It is what it is. My feet will have to be quicker."
Said Bulldogs running back Elijah Holyfield: "He's a really, really good player. We'll definitely have to game-plan for him."
Odds and ends
Georgia practiced indoors Tuesday for a second straight day, with coach Kirby Smart saying afterward, "They know they're playing for something really special. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't more lock-in and focus this week than there was UMass, even though we don't make it that way." Smart said sophomore inside linebacker Monty Rice (foot) was able to "move around and do some things" in Tuesday's practice and is hopeful he can do more today.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.