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Jesse Williams could be No. 2 Alabama's new Terrence Cody.
Like Cody, Williams is a massive, colorful and popular noseguard from the junior college ranks charged with plugging the middle of the Crimson Tide's defensive line and monopolizing multiple blockers.
The heavily tattooed Australian is filling the role that turned Cody into a college football celebrity at a position where the most measurable stat is often how many blockers you can monopolize. Williams is off to a good start: Photos of him bench-pressing 600 pounds spread on Twitter in July.
Williams downplays that display of strength until it's pointed out it was nearly equal to lifting two D.J. Flukers, Alabama's 335-pound right tackle.
''Now that you put it that way, it makes me seem like some sort of superhero,'' he said with deadpan humor. ''I wish I could push two D.J. Flukers around at once. It was a good feat to do. For me, it was good to have that under my belt. I didn't try to make a statement, just tried to show how hard we were working throughout the summer.''
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Williams is a familiar face for Tide fans already, even without the tattoos that cover much of his body, stretching up his neck and including a smiley face on his right earlobe. The native of Brisbane, Australia, started immediately at defensive end last season after transferring from Western Arizona Community College.
Now, he's replacing Josh Chapman in the middle of Alabama's three-man front. That's the spot where ''Mount'' Cody became a two-time All-American and fan favorite, his role belying his career stats: 51 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
Williams will make his debut in his new starting assignment Sept. 1 against No. 8 Michigan.
''Williams is a guy who is disruptive, somebody we'll have to contend with,'' Wolverines coach Brady Hoke said.
Center Barrett Jones lines up against Williams routinely in practice.
''He's a really unique combination of not only strength and quickness,'' Jones said. ''He's a lot quicker than you guys (reporters) give him credit for. He's a really good player. The way I feel is that if I can block Jesse in a 3-4 nose, I can block anybody. He's a really unique kind of guy who really is that true game changer at nose.''
A more recent addition to Williams' body art: ''CHAMPS'' with a crimson ''A,'' for the defending national champions.
The somewhat soft-spoken Williams' off-the-field demeanor belies his Twitter handle ((at)ThaMonster). So does the tattoo on his right hand: ''I stopped checking for the monster under the bed when I realized the monster is me.''
Alabama running back Eddie Lacy said Williams is the guy he'd least like to spot coming at him.
''I don't think anyone wants to see Jesse,'' Lacy said. ''Big. Strong. Fast. Not too much you can do when he's right in front of you.''
Also in the offseason, Williams got to go home for the first time in nearly two years.
''It's been pretty tough,'' he said. ''But it's kind of like a job for me. You just keep doing it day by day.''
Williams has been an anchor of the nation's top run defense last season and the No. 2 defense against the run in the junior college ranks two years ago, playing inside. That experience has made this transition easier for a guy who didn't take up football until 15 after starting out playing rugby and basketball.
''I think it's just a different mindset,'' Williams said. ''It's really close quarters down there, not as loose as the five (end). But I played there in junior college and I'm just trying to find my feet again and get back to the technique I was using.''
Saban said Tide coaches were initially concerned about Williams' football instincts when he arrived because of his limited experience. It proved not to be much of an issue.
''Jesse's a very smart guy,'' Saban said. ''He's very prideful. He's a hard worker. It's really important to him to get it right. He competes with a lot of character. He has improved and improved last year dramatically through the season and was a very, very consistent player for us. Now, he's playing a little different position because he's playing nose and didn't play it a lot last year.
''He's really doing a great job. I think he has just continued to improve through the spring and this (preseason) camp. I think he can be a guy that can really affect the game up front.''
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AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Ann Arbor, Mich., contributed to this report.
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Follow John Zenor on Twitter: (at)jzenor
