It has been a little over a year since Nick Saban’s shocking retirement from college football and the Alabama Crimson Tide. While there were many, one of the biggest concerns for the Crimson Tide faithful after his departure was the recruitment of in-state five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams.
Williams initially de-committed after the news, but Kalen DeBoer was able to land a commitment from Williams after just a few weeks in Tuscaloosa. At Saraland High School, Williams was a 2x Alabama Mr. Football who didn’t even play his senior year to enroll early with the Tide, so it was a massive early win for DeBoer in his tenure.
As a true freshman, Williams was the Tide’s clear No. 1 receiver with 48 receptions for 865 yards and 8 TDs while also carrying the ball four times for 48 yards and 2 scores. Williams burst onto the national scene with his game winning touchdown against Georgia and is already widely regarded as a future top ten NFL draft pick.
Since, the Tide’s season ended on Jan. 2, the accolades have been rolling in for Williams as a First-Team All-SEC member and Second-team All-American. To add to the list, the Football Writers Association of America has named Williams as a Freshman All-American.
The Crimson Tide will likely be much more of a pass first offense in 2025 with the departure of Jalen Milroe, so it’ll be fun to see how Williams elevates his game next fall.
Freshman All-American @TheFWAA @Ryanwms1
:https://t.co/vBCeJmZrtk#RollTide pic.twitter.com/KmzoO00NyH
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) January 14, 2025
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