The world in which New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams played college football no longer exists, which is an eyebrow-raising statement to make considering his Alabama career ended just six short years ago.
Despite the head-spinning onslaught of transfer liberalization, playoff expansion and conference realignment, Williams's enthusiasm for the game remains. That's true even with legendary Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban off to retirement, as Williams told SI on Friday in a virtual media tour promoting College Colors Day on Aug. 30.
"I'm pretty sure for every Alabama fan across the world it's gonna be very different," Williams said. "I think it's gonna be amazing, man. We got a great offensive line, a great quarterback, a great offensive-minded head coach."
Williams played for Alabama from 2017 to '18 (redshirting in 2016), winning the national championship in '17. In '18, one of the most dominant individual defensive seasons of the last decade, Williams finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Returning to a collegiate mindset for a day, Williams appeared in a promo for College Colors Day—a lighthearted 20-year-old holiday designed to encourage the American public to show their team spirit before college football season—alongside Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert and longtime ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.
"My favorite part was having a chance to work with Raheem Mostert," Williams said of the Purdue product. "I know I go against him a lot, with him playing for the Dolphins. ... Just to get a chance to work with him off the field and laugh and joke about the times we played against each other, that was pretty cool."
Assessing the 12-team College Football Playoff, Williams conceded it would be "different for the players because they've been so used to the four-team playoff."
However, the Birmingham native believes that even in this season of change, the Crimson Tide and new coach Kalen DeBoer will be just fine.
"They're in very good hands," Williams said. "They got great defensive coaches and great offensive coaches. They're definitely gonna have them ready for this season. They're gonna do what their coaches tell them to do, be consistent, and ball out."
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Quinnen Williams Discusses High Hopes for Alabama in Changing College Football World.
