Auburn Football: Will Tigers Really Miss WR D'haquille "Duke" Williams?

The roller-coaster career of Auburn wide receiver D'haquille "Duke" Williams has come to an end.

The 6'2", 224-pounder was dismissed from the Auburn program late Monday night, according to a release emailed by Auburn.

"When individuals fail to meet the expectations of our program, there has to be consequences," head coach Gus Malzahn said in a statement emailed by Auburn. "I gave D'haquille the chance to prove himself. I am disappointed that it did not work out."

Williams was suspended for Auburn's Outback Bowl matchup against Wisconsin following last season, and again for a week during fall camp for an unspecified violation of team rules. According to Jay G. Tate of AuburnSports.com, Williams' third strike came over the weekend when he was allegedly involved in an incident at a night club.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Will Auburn miss its senior star receiver?

Because of his his physical ability and potential, the easy answer would be "yes." 

After all, he caught a team-high 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns last year and was one of the most consistent third-down machines as a junior. 

But during his senior season, things have changed, which makes the answer a resounding "no."

While Auburn has undergone an offensive shakeup with Sean White taking over at quarterback for an ineffective Jeremy Johnson, Williams has been missing in action. He has just 12 catches for 147 yards and one score on the season. Williams hasn't served as the all-purpose weapon for an offense that desperately needed him to be and has underwhelmed to a point where ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay is down on his future at the next level:

It's not a leap to suggest that McShay is right about Williams' "inflated sense of self" after he's been suspended three times without an arrest or any suggestion of a failed drug test.

If he's a problem in the locker room and with the coaches and isn't producing much on the field, what's the point of even having him on the roster?

Malzahn's quick hook from Johnson to the redshirt freshman White is a clear sign that Auburn is trying to salvage the present while building toward the future in 2015.

Williams was evidently not part of either equation based on his lack of production this year, so Auburn is better off without him.

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

There are plenty of talented receivers on the roster who have produced on the Plains. 

Ricardo Louis (6'2", 215 pounds) leads the Tigers with 19 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown, Melvin Ray (6'3", 215 pounds) is a senior who has nine catches for 84 yards and two scores and junior Tony Stevens (6'4", 205 pounds) was behind Williams on the depth chart, although Ray could be a better option to slide over to Williams' old role in the slot. All of those players are big enough to be the possession force Williams was supposed to be but didn't become in 2015.

Add in smaller targets like veteran junior Marcus Davis, redshirt freshman Jason Smith and versatile running backs Roc Thomas and Kerryon Johnson out of the backfield, and there are plenty of weapons for White to grow with.

Auburn has experienced wide receivers to fill the void left by Williams now, and younger ones that will help the offense evolve moving forward.

The Williams experiment has come to an end. For Auburn, it was probably two months too late. 

Auburn's motto this year is "count on me."

It was clear that Malzahn couldn't count on Williams on the field or off of it.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com. 

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.