Jameson Williams explains how injured WR John Metchie remains involved at Alabama

Alabama wide receiver John Metchie will not see the field on Friday against Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl, but the team leader in receptions this year is still a constant presence as the team prepares for another College Football Playoff appearance.

His teammate and good friend, wideout Jameson Williams, took a moment this week to shed some light on how Metchie is feeling and doing in Dallas after suffering a season-ending ACL injury.

“He’s doing good,” Williams said. “I’ve seen him ‑‑ he’s with us every day. He’s at practice on the sideline. He’s on the buses with us. He kicks it with us in the hotel. So I would say he’s dealing with it very well.”

If Metchie is feeling down about his situation, it doesn’t show.

“I haven’t seen any bad signs,” Williams added. “He always smiles all the time. So I would say he’s dealing with it really great actually.”

The two wideouts dominated the SEC this season. Williams finished atop the conference with 1,445 yards, while Metchie came in at No. 3 with 1,142. They combined for 23 touchdown catches.

Matchup to watch: Cincinnati secondary versus Alabama wide receivers

If Alabama wants to hand Cincinnati their first loss of the college football season, they will need to crack the code to Cincinnati’s suffocating pass defense.

Led by cornerbacks Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Coby Bryant, the Bearcats allowed just 168.3 passing yards per game this season, which is currently second in the nation. In Cincinnati’s best win of the year over Notre Dame, they held the Irish to 257 passing yards, they were 6-17 on third down, and they had two interceptions, one of which was by Gardner.

Alabama shredded the best defense they faced this year in Georgia, but to be fair, Georgia’s biggest strength is their front seven, not their secondary. Regardless, Williams caught seven passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 4. It was the Ohio State transfer’s seventh game this season with at least 120 receiving yards.

In Metchie’s absence, young receivers like Javon Baker, Traeshon Holden, Agiye Hall and Ja’Corey Brooks are stepping up, per Alabama head coach Nick Saban. They have combined for 29 receptions, 411 yards and three scores this year.

The Cotton Bowl kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN on Dec. 31. Alabama is currently a 13.5-point favorite.