The first sign that Kalen DeBoer was going to be a problem in the SEC was when he landed elite five-star WR Ryan Williams in his first two weeks in Tuscaloosa. Many people considered Williams’s commitment to DeBoer to be similar to that of Julio Jones to Nick Saban. 247 Sports ranked Williams as the No. 8 recruit in the 2024 class, and that was with him leaving high school a year early.
So far, the Alabama Crimson Tide phenom has lived up to the billing with 40 receptions for 767 yards and eight TDs as well as three carries for 53 yards and two scores. He also maybe made the play of the year in college football with an acrobatic 75-yard game-winning touchdown against Georgia. Williams has grown from being an electric X-factor in the offense to one of the most reliable pieces as the season has progressed.
As a result of Williams’s outstanding play, the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the nation’s top wide receiver, named him as one of 11 semi-finalists for this year’s award. Ole Miss’s Tre Harris is the only other player from the SEC on the list. Amari Cooper was Alabama’s first win back in 2014 followed by Jerry Jeudy in 2018 and DeVonta Smith in 2020.
Congratulations to Ryan Williams @Ryanwms1 on being named a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist! The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver at any position. @AlabamaFTBL @UA_Athletics #OutstandingReceiver #NCFAA pic.twitter.com/QfIavyzPCR
— Biletnikoff Award (@biletnikoffawrd) November 19, 2024
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