OXFORD – There will be a moment at some point later in his life when Ole Miss senior safety Wydett Williams Jr. knows he can look back and appreciate just how special his journey has been.
But that moment is not today, he noted with a smile. There’s too much left in front of him and the Rebels for that.
Williams, a first-year transfer from Louisiana-Monroe who began his career at Division II Delta State, committed to Ole Miss after spring practices. The Lake Providence, Louisiana, native – it’s a city with a population of less than 3,500, per Census Reporter – began his career with the Statesmen, where he made 72 tackles in 23 games over two seasons. Williams then spent one year at ULM, racking up 99 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and three interceptions. He came to Ole Miss as a relatively unheralded three-star transfer but has made his presence felt for a Rebels (8-1, 5-1 SEC) defense that has consistently improved as the season has progressed.
No. 6 Ole Miss hosts The Citadel Saturday at noon. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+. It will be the second-ever meeting between the schools; the Rebels won the first meeting 27-7 in 2005.
“I think about it sometimes. But right now, I really just have to stay in the moment, focus on right now. That’s the biggest (thing),” Williams said. “I’ll be able to reflect on everything when that time comes, but right now it’s really focusing in on this game coming up and day-to-day practices, just getting better. After a while, when you sit back at home, old or whatever you want to say, that’s the time to reflect on it and just enjoy it, like life. Enjoy the moment that you have now.”
Williams has started each of the last eight games for Ole Miss and is fifth on the team with 40 tackles and has a team-high two interceptions. He has been a key cog in a defense that is surrendering just 196.9 yards per game through the air, which ranks 38th nationally. Since surrendering 510 yards in an eight-point loss at Georgia, Ole Miss’ defense has surrendered a total of 589 yards the last two weeks in wins over Oklahoma and South Carolina.
“I feel like I adjusted pretty well,” Williams said. “Just some little things to fix. But overall, I feel like we’ve been playing great as a team and everyone is coming together so far.”
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