Rayshad Williams transferred from UCLA this past offseason and wasted no time becoming a bright spot in the Red Raider secondary. Williams played in all 12 games for Texas Tech, logging 703 snaps (419 in man-coverage) and didn’t allow a touchdown pass to a wide receiver this year. That’s an impressive stat considering the wideouts you line up against on a weekly basis as a cornerback in the Big 12. Williams was also second in the conference with 9 pass breakups, trailing only teammate DeMarcus Fields, who led the way with 10. Williams earned the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year Award for his efforts and talked about what this season meant for him.

“This year was a blessing,” Williams said. “I’m grateful for coach (Derek) Jones and everything he taught me. To learn from coach Jones and put everything that I trained for into play, ‘I was like wow, I’m able to do this.’ The other guys too, learning from them as well. Just being out there and being able to start every game and give it my best was a blessing, and I’m extremely grateful for it.”

Williams attended Whitehaven High School in Memphis, TN, and helped lead his team to a perfect 15-0 record and a 6A state championship in 2016. Williams was widely considered as one of the top prospects coming out of high school, ranked 17th overall in the state of Tennessee and the 14th cornerback in the nation by Rivals. He grew up attending the Liberty Bowl but never had the opportunity to play there until now. Williams talked about how it feels to go home to Memphis and play in a bowl game.

“It means a lot; I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance to play back home in front of family,” Williams said. “I’m extremely excited about the opportunity. With everything that’s been going on with the coaches, to even get the opportunity to be in this bowl game is a blessing. Being in Memphis, I’ve had a lot of family calling, it’s exciting and going to be overwhelming almost. I’m going to have to be poised for the moment and not make it bigger than what it is and just enjoy it.”

With a large amount of family expected to be in attendance at the Liberty Bowl, Williams acknowledged that it will definitely give him an extra spring in his step come gametime.

“There’s been over 40-50 ticket requests, but I know I’m not going to get that many, so a lot of my family are going to be buying tickets,” Williams noted. “Any chance I have to get on the field and work, I’m going to give it my all and show out for my family.”

This won’t be the first time he’s faced off against a Mike Leach led offense. The former Bruin corner squared off against Leach in a, 67-63, victory over the Cougars in 2019. Williams talked about what he expects from the Mississippi State offense.

“I know it’s fixing to be a throwing game, all game,” Williams said. “He threw the ball against us probably 60-70 times that whole game. I’m just preparing my mindset, to know that I’ve got to lock in and be at my best against Mike Leach because he’s going to put the ball in the air.”

Bulldog wideout Makai Polk finished 33rd in the NCAA with 989 receiving yards and 24th with 9 receiving touchdowns for the Mississippi State offense. Polk’s 98 receptions tied him for second most in the country this year and his 8.2 receptions per game were good for 4th overall. He set a new school record for receptions in a season and led the SEC in catches. Williams spoke about the opportunity to match up against one of the premiere receivers in college football.

“Definitely looking forward to that challenge, and I told coach that’s a matchup I want,” Williams said. “I played against Makai Polk when he was at Cal, and he was pretty good, so I know I’ve got to come with it.”

With a big part of the team's focus centered around making the bowl experience special for this senior group, Williams said the team’s approach is that nothing will be taken lightly for them.

“We definitely listen and take in everything they (seniors) have to say,” Williams noted. “We know what this game means for them, and it’s probably their last time putting on a college uniform. This is something they’ve looked forward to. They love this game, and everyone has goals, so we’re going to go hard to make sure we’re doing everything to help them out.”

For the Red Raider fans making the trip to Memphis, Williams just so happens to be an expert on the local establishments and has a few dining suggestions for the people.

“Downtown, the Rendezvous, there are a lot of wing places,” Williams said. “The Dixie Queen, Crumpy’s Hot Wings, there’s a lot of food places downtown, a lot of nice restaurants, but the Rendezvous is probably the best barbeque spot in Memphis.”