When Auburn’s season began, expectations for wide receiver D’haquille “Duke” Williams were just as the expectations for the team were – sky high.
However, nearly a month into the season, Williams has failed to live up to the hype.
The LaPlace, Louisiana, native burst onto the scene in his first season on the Plains in 2014, catching 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns despite being injured late in the year.
In the offseason, he received national attention and praise from fans and experts alike.
NFL draft expert Mel Kiper rated Williams the No. 1 receiver in the 2016 draft class, and Duke was voted to the All-SEC team at SEC Media Days in July. He was also placed on watch lists for the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards, which are awarded annually to college football’s best player.
In the preseason, Williams was suspended from practice in the preseason because of a “discipline issue,” according to Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.
The senior wide receiver missed five practices, a scrimmage and Fan Day but returned for the season opener against Louisville.
Williams’ season has been unspectacular thus far, as he has only 11 catches for 130 yards, and his lone touchdown came late in a blowout loss to LSU.
When asked about Williams’ lack of production, Malzahn was quick to take the blame off his receiver. Malzahn said Williams’ struggles have resulted from opposing defenses keying on him.
“There’s been some double coverage issues,” Malzahn said. “The other night [versus Mississippi State], obviously there was a lot of focus [on Williams]. We were trying to get the ball to him early.”
Malzahn also cast blame on himself and the offensive coaches, saying they need to do a better job of giving Williams and other receivers more opportunities.
“He is one of the impact players, there’s no doubt,” Malzahn said. “We need to find a way to not only get the ball to him, but there’s three or four others that I really feel like we need to do a better job of getting the ball to also. ... It’s nothing that Duke is doing wrong or that he needs to do better. That’s part of offensive systems. Kind of like I said earlier, we need to be a little more creative to get guys open.”
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