AUBURN — D.J. Williams has had his doubters since the day Auburn offered him.

The then-Appalachian State commit — and then-2 star — picked up more collegiate interest than anyone in the final six weeks of his recruitment. But, among Power 5 programs, Auburn made the call first and that helped the Tigers land the Sebring, Fla., running back. His long-term under-recruitment, however, led many to question Auburn's recruiting plan at running back.

The Tigers didn't have any doubts. Saturday's A-Day was Williams' first chance to show the public exactly why Auburn took a leap of faith, if you can even call it that give the Tigers' assuredness in the decision.

"I knew he could be good when he came in because Auburn don’t just recruit anybody. I knew he was going to be special," senior running back Kam Martin said. "D.J.’s going to be a beast, man. He just got here in the spring—in January—and he’s been stepping up."

Williams' first public showcase on the college stage surpassed expectations.

He worked with the second-team offense with Martin and Boobee Whitlow on first-team. All three had solid per-carry numbers, but Williams earned a little more use by design. Williams carried the ball 11 times for 57 yards, including a standout 29-yard run that earned postgame acknowledgement from Gus Malzahn.

"D.J. had a very good spring. That one run he made had the wow factor. He broke a couple of good tackles against good tacklers and had some acceleration and almost spun out of there," Malzahn said. "He’s a really good runner and he showed a lot of toughness for a true freshman. It was good to see him out there make plays today."

Williams likely won't be the feature back in 2019. The early enrollee is expected to concede that duty to Whitlow who emerged as the top running back last season. Martin's veteran status in the running back room tends to go a long way in Malzahn's eyes. He has taken on the senior leadership role at running back with Williams especially who hasn't been shy about asking questions and developing.

"He always asks me questions; he wants to get better. He’s going to be real special here," Martin said. "You know man, a lot of guys on the team — they support D.J. They want him to do good, and everybody in our room, we’re just so close. We want everybody to shine. D.J. came out here and took care of his business today."