"He's working hard at it": Kalen DeBoer drops update on Ryan Williams after Alabama's big win over SEC giants Georgia

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer vouched support for struggling wide receiver Ryan Williams days after the Crimson Tide's 24-21 win over SEC rival Georgia.

DeBoer was asked to comment on the six-foot sophomore wideout's struggles on the field that was further magnified with another dropped pass against Georgia on Saturday. The coach addressed the situation and said that Williams have been working on becoming a better receiver during practices.

"He knows," DeBoer said. "He's just got to keep progressing, keep developing, keep working. What I know I see on the football field in practice every single day is a guy that is working hard at it. We know how skilled he is, how big of a threat he is any time he is on the field."

The dropped pass wasn't the only issue the wide receiver has. ESPN color commentator Kirk Herbstreit also brought up his lack of effort in blocking Georgia defenders on back-to-back plays. DeBoer defended Williams and took note of his third-down conversions and his late catch that helped gave Alabama a chance to score.

"We expect a lot out of him and we've built that up for him and he certainly wants that," DeBoer said. "But he just got to keep taking steps, keep getting better and he will. He just keep working through it but his desire to go out there and be a team player block."

Williams caught five passes for 43 yards against Georgia with his longest recption was an 18-yard second-quarter catch to the Georgia 44 for a first down. The play helped Alabama score a touchdown, which gave them a 24-14 lead at the half.

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Ryan Williams is off to a so-so start for Alabama this season

Wide receiver Ryan Williams is having a down season with Alabama after impressing the Crimson Tide fans last year. The sophomore wideout has caught 15 passes for 238 yards for an average of 15.8 yards per carry with two touchdowns.

This is a drop from last season, where he had 48 receptions for 885 yards and eight TDs. His dropped passes in games against Florida State, Wisconsin and Georgia further magnified his lackadaisical start.

Ryan Williams has a chance to patch things up on Saturday, Oct. 4, when Alabama shoots for its fourth win in five games against the Diego Pavia-led Vanderbilt.