‘He’s the best I’ve seen’: Ayden Williams aims to carry on No. 1 legacy at Ole Miss

Ole Miss wide receiver Ayden Williams has been a household name for some time now. From his time at Ridgeland (Miss.) to elite camps during his recruitment, the former four-star prospect arrived at Oxford, Miss., with lofty expectations.

Then he put on the No. 1 jersey.

Ole Miss’ legacy at wide receiver and the particular jersey number has some big shoes to fill. Laquon Treadwell got it started in 2013. Then A.J. Brown kept things rolling upon his arrival. And last year, Jonathan Mingo ended his career at Ole Miss with the No. 1 jersey and is now turning heads at training camp with the Carolina Panthers.

The 6-foot-3, 190 pound wideout didn’t hesitate when selecting his number. And I think it was somewhat expected he would be the one to carry on the legacy. The 2022 Under Armour All-American capped off a phenomenal high school career with 1,265 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.

Ayden Williams was dubbed as Mr. Day One by OMSpirit.

The 86th overall prospect is as solid as it comes with his strong hands and precise route-running. His frame doesn’t compromise his ability to create separation and to runaway from would-be defenders.

“I evaluated (star Ohio State wide receiver) Jaxon Smith-Njigba really closely in the 2020 cycle,” Power said recently, in an extensive sit-down interview.

“Saw him a ton. He’s one of my favorite prospects in that class. Stylistically, I think Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a pretty good comparison (for Williams), for sure. I think that’s on the right track.

“I think Ayden Williams is one of the most-polished and technical route-runners that we’ve seen in the 2023 cycle,” Power said. “Just very advanced with his ability to read defensive backs. He has a pretty diverse route tree, can run a lot of different routes. 

“Sometimes you see receivers at the high school level and they’re running just a couple of routes or living off of their athleticism. That’s just not the case with Ayden Williams. He’s a guy that can break you off in kind of the short/intermediate area. He can do double moves to create separation. Just very developed and pretty far along as a route-runner.”

Ole Miss wide receiver Ayden Williams

Several analysts, scouts and former college coaches have raved about Ayden Williams

“He’s the best I’ve seen at this point in a career,” a college coach said. “I’ve been able to coach in the Pac-12 and the SEC and he’s as talented as anyone at this point…just has a different gear about him. A different look.”

Matt Zenitz has echoed this sentiment, dubbing him as a true freshman to earmark this season.

“With the Rebels losing their top two wide receivers from last year, Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath, there will be some new players as top options for Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart,” Zenitz said. “Transfers Tre Harris and Zakhari Franklin will likely be among them. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Williams could end up helping, too.”

Charles Power, On3’s director of scouting and rankings, thinks he’s one of the “smoothest” prospects to come out of the 2023 class.

“He has looked like one of the best route-runners in the 2023 cycle dating back to his junior season and off-season events,” Power said. “He’s advanced as a route-runner and understands how to read and set up defensive backs.

“Williams looks like a potential early contributor in Oxford given his technical polish,” Power said. “The Mississippi native is a smooth mover who is able to quickly change directions within his routes.”

2023 Ole Miss WR signee Ayden Williams (Photo credit: Ayden Williams-Instagram)

The Ole Miss wide receiver record book is littered with accolades from former No. 1 jersey-wearers. Williams might not admit and say all the right things as it pertains to doing what’s best for the program, but best believe the record book is in his crosshairs. Now whether it’s consciously or subconsciously remains to be seen, but his name is one which will echo throughout Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for years to come.

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