Auburn practices without WR D'haquille Williams for third straight day

Auburn held its third consecutive day of practice Monday without star wide receiver D’haquille “Duke” Williams.

Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn said earlier in the week that Williams hasn’t been a participant in fall camp due to a “discipline issue.” Malzahn said Saturday that Williams will be back on the field at some point, but did not offer a timetable. He reiterated this on Monday.

From the Associated Press:

Williams transferred to Auburn last year from junior college and emerged as one of the SEC’s top playmaking threats. Though he played in only 10 games, Williams caught 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns.

Despite the on-field success, this isn’t Williams’ first disciplinary issue. He was suspended for the Outback Bowl last year for breaking team rules. Similarly, Malzahn declined to offer any specifics about the cause for the suspension.

Williams reportedly mulled declaring for the NFL before opting to return to Auburn for his senior season. Meanwhile, his teammates are preparing for the season without him for the time being.

“We’ve just been going,” fellow senior wideout Ricardo Louis said, per the AP. “We don’t skip a beat. Whoever’s not in, we’re going to have somebody else step up.”

First-year starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson said Williams' absence "hasn't been a distraction and we won't let it be a distraction."

"That's not my responsibility," Johnson said. "I'm just leaving that to him and Coach, but I feel really good about all the other receivers."

For more Auburn news, visit AuburnSports.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper