Auburn's DeMarcus Riddick Shades Alabama's Ryan Williams: 'Ain't No Big Time Player'

Ahead of Saturday's rivalry game against No. 7 Alabama, Auburn freshman linebacker DeMarcus Riddick declared that he hasn't been impressed with Crimson Tide freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams.

When asked about facing Williams this week, Riddick told reporters, "Ryan Williams ain't no big time player to me" before going on to declare, "I will not lose to Bama while I'm here."

Riddick is actually very familiar with Williams, as both of them grew up in Alabama. 247Sports ranked Riddick as the state's No. 6 overall player in the class of 2024, while Williams was ranked No. 2. Williams was also named the Alabama Gatorade Football Player of the Year and Alabama Mr. Football in both his sophomore and junior years before reclassifying to the 2024 class and committing to the Crimson Tide. He was Alabama's first-ever two-time Mr. Football winner and the first sophomore ever to win the award.

It didn't take long for Williams to make a splash at the collegiate level, as he leads the Crimson Tide with 42 catches, 802 yards and eight touchdowns entering Saturday's game. However, he hasn't had a 100-yard game since his monster 177-yard performance in Alabama's win over Georgia in September.

Riddick has also had a solid freshman season for the Tigers, ranking third on the team with three sacks while adding 25 total tackles and a pass deflection. At 5-6, Auburn is holding out hope that it can earn a spot in a bowl game with a strong performance against Alabama.

With an 8-3 record, Alabama is battling for a spot in the College Football Playoff Rankings, so it will be motivated to bounce back from this past Saturday's loss to Oklahoma. After Riddick's comments, it can be expected that Williams will be ready to prove him wrong in their first meeting as rivals.