Tag: Ryan Williams

Alabama player makes USA TODAY Sports’ list of early 2025 Heisman Trophy favorites

Check out which Alabama player made the list of way-too-early Heisman Trophy favorites for 2025.

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter took home the 2024 Heisman Trophy over the weekend,

Could an Alabama football player be in line to win next year’s award? In their way-too-early look at 2025 Heisman Trophy favorites, USA TODAY Sports listed a household name to watch for: Crimson Tide freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams.

Williams joined fellow freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith of the Ohio State Buckeyes on USA TODAY Sports’ list.

Austin Curtright of USA TODAY said of Williams:

“(T)he former 5-star recruit who played the entirety of the 2024 season at 17 years old, was one of the best receivers in the country in his first season at Alabama.

“Williams caught 45 passes for 857 yards with eight touchdowns in 2024 and should build upon his performance for what should be his actual freshman season, as he graduated high school early to play for the Crimson Tide.”

Williams’ coming-out party was in the Crimson Tide’s thrilling 41-34 win over the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 28. He caught six passes for 177 yards, including an electric 75-yard touchdown with 2:18 left that put Alabama back on top after Georgia had rallied from a 28-0 deficit in the second quarter.

Williams and Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown were recently named to the 2024 SEC All-Freshman team.

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Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Zabien Brown named to SEC All-Freshman Team

SEC All-Freshman team’s includes two members of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

On Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Texas Longhorns in overtime to claim the SEC Championship throne. It was a race to the finish, with eight teams having a chance to compete for the championship, including the Alabama Crimson Tide, who ultimately came up just short.

Despite missing out on an SEC Championship and College Football Playoff berth, there are many positive things to take away from the 2024 season. I know people are upset with Kalen DeBoer for the 9-3 finish, but he was in his first year in a new environment and is still the right man for the job.

The future is very bright in Tuscaloosa as DeBoer and the Crimson Tide hold the No. 3 recruiting class in the 2025 cycle and saw solid production from some very young players. WR Ryan Williams and DB Zabien Brown were two freshmen who stood out this season and were both named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Williams was second on the Alabama roster in terms of receptions with 45, but led the team in yards with 857 and touchdowns with eight, while also rushing for two more scores. On the defensive side of the ball, Brown finished the season with 17 total tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

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Alabama WR Ryan Williams a finalist for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award

Freshman Alabama phenom WR Ryan Williams was named a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Award.

Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide staff knew that five-star WR Ryan Williams was going to be a special player well before he ever stepped foot on campus. The expectations for Williams have been through the roof, with many people considering him to be DeBoer’s version of Julio Jones, yet he has somehow been better than expected.

As a 17-year-old true freshman, Williams has dominated college football with 45 receptions for 857 yards and eight TDs, including the game-winning score against Georgia. Williams has made a few other dazzling plays on the season, but it seems like most of them have been called back, such as his score against Oklahoma. Williams is in the conversation for best wide receiver in the game right now and will probably bring home a Biletnikoff Award at some point during his college career.

The Shaun Alexander Award, presented annually to the nation’s top freshman, named Williams a finalist for the award alongside Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Minnesota’s Koi Perich, South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart and Texas’s Colin Simmons. The award, named after Alabama legend Shaun Alexander, has only been around since the 2018 season where two former Crimson Tide players have brought home the award in Will Anderson and Caleb Downs.

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Auburn linebacker says Ryan Williams not a ‘big-time player,’ vows not to lose to Alabama

One of Auburn’s top linebackers was asked about the star Alabama wide receiver Monday.

The first day of Iron Bowl game week was certainly a memorable one, even despite the only action coming from the press conferences for the two rivals.

As expected, both the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers commented on the other program Monday, with one of the most noteworthy coming via a comment from what Auburn true freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick said about the Crimson Tide, in particular star wide receiver Ryan Williams.

“Ryan Williams is Ryan Williams,” Riddick said, “I mean yes, he’s electric. He’s all this and that, but in my eyes he ain’t really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself, he ain’t no big-time player to me.”

Riddick also commented on a few other topics surrounding Alabama, which included containing quarterback Jalen Milroe, as well as potentially losing to the Crimson Tide.

“It’s going to be real important in this game,” Riddick said. “He is a good quarterback. He’s fast, but I mean, he’s not faster than me. He will not get out of that box this week, and that’s something I’m going to have to work on all week this week at practice, and is something some of the guys are going to have to help me with.”

“Bama is a big rival team,” Riddick added. “Every rival team I’ve played I’ve never lost to, and I will not lose to Bama while I’m here.”

The Crimson Tide and Tigers are set to meet this upcoming Saturday, Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET on either ABC or ESPN+.

3 Stars from Oklahoma’s 24-3 upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide

Three stars from the Oklahoma Sooners upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Oklahoma stunned their fanbase, the SEC, and the college football world on Saturday night putting a stamp on the 2024 season with an upset over the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide 24-3. It was Alabama’s first visit to Norman since 2002.

There have been very few things to be excited about this season for Oklahoma football. Oklahoma dominated Alabama along the line of scrimmage for three hours. The Sooners’ season could end on a high note, depending on how they fare in Baton Rouge against LSU and how the Sooners perform in their bowl game.

Saturday’s win was a masterclass in desire, toughness, and physicality. The Sooners were the aggressors from the opening snap, and it didn’t stop until the clock read 0:00.

Oklahoma needed heroic performances to pull off this upset, and we wanted to highlight the three stars we thought lost pivotal to the win.

No. 1 Star – Jackson Arnold/Xavier Robinson

It would be a disservice to not include both Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson as the No. 1 star. The two combined for 43 carries, 238 yards, and two touchdowns. Robinson scored twice, but Arnold’s toughness as a runner showed the type of competitive fire we’ve come to expect from Oklahoma quarterbacks.

Robinson’s ability to run through contact as a freshman may be his best trait.  It looks even more impressive against a veteran Tide defense.

Joe Jon Finley routinely hit the right button for the offense and Arnold and Robinson rewarded his faith in the run game. With a dominant performance from the offensive line, the Sooners rode the run game to a monumental win.

No. 2 Star – Eli Bowen, Cornerback

The younger of the two Bowens, Eli, brother is entirely out of his five-star brother Peyton’s shadow. Eli has become one of the best freshman defensive players in the country.

Not only did he hold budding superstar freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams to two catches, but he did so by traveling with Williams most of the game. Wherever Williams lined up, Bowen was there, and the effectiveness never waned. When Bowen was in coverage on Williams, Alabama’s true freshman phenom had just one reception on four targets. The one catch went for 30 yards, but other than that, Bowen put the clamps on.

He completely shut down an entire facet of Alabama’s offense, which made Jalen Milroe’s job even more complicated, considering the Sooners had bottled up the run game.

Did we mention Bowen’s incredible interception? He read the play before Milroe even threw it and blew up the screen while picking off the pass in the process. That’s the highlight that will stand out, but Bowen put together a complete performance in coverage and in run support for the Oklahoma Sooners defense.

No. 3 Star – The Offensive Line

Bill Bedenbaugh’s finest work this season was on display last night. Whatever was said, practiced, or reviewed leading up to the game was flawless. The Sooners had a plan, and they executed it to perfection.

Clearly, the offensive brain trust watched what Vanderbilt did to Alabama earlier this season, and they wondered if they could do the same. It started with the boys up front who just beat up on the Alabama defensive line for 60 minutes. Even though the Crimson Tide knew the Sooners weren’t going to ask their quarterback to drop back and throw it 40 times, Alabama still struggled to stop the Sooners rushing attack. 

Oklahoma started the game with this offensive line combination

  • Left Tackle – Logan Howland
  • Left Guard – Heath Ozaeta
  • Center – Troy Everett
  • Right Guard – Febechi Nwaiwu
  • Right Tackle – Spencer Brown

The Sooners rotated in true freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis, too, and the aggression and movement they created didn’t drop off. Could this be the game that helps spark a massive step forward for the younger Sooners offensive linemen and something they can build on over the remainder of the season?

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Alabama got absolutely hosed by a terrible call that wiped away a beautiful Ryan Williams TD

Alabama got HOSED here.

As truly bizarre as it is to type, Alabama football got hosed on one of the best touchdown catches of the day against Oklahoma on Saturday night.

Down 24-3 on the road to Oklahoma in the fourth quarter, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw a beautiful pass to wide receiver Ryan Williams in the end zone on fourth down.

Williams adjusted on the ball and made a jaw-dropping grab inbounds for the touchdown to get the Crimson Tide back in the game.

However, the refs somehow wiped away the score by calling Williams for “illegal touching” on the play.

If you can see Williams doing anything wrong on this play, please let us know because we’re a bit speechless this was flagged. Even the ABC broadcast’s rules analyst Bill LeMonnier said it was the wrong call.

We live in strange times when Alabama is getting unquestionably jobbed by the refs in crunch time. Welcome to the college football Twilight Zone.

What a brutal break for the Crimson Tide. This wasn’t a flag in any way, and Williams should’ve been granted the touchdown.

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3 Key matchups for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide

What are the key matchups to watch as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide?

The Oklahoma Sooners will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday night in one of the more highly-anticipated matchups of the new-look SEC.

Even if the Sooners have struggled through the 2024 season, a battle of two of college football’s blue blood programs is the stuff reserved for the postseason or the occasional nonconference heavyweight tilt.

It’s been 22 years since the Crimson Tide stepped foot in Norman. When Alabama comes to town this week, they’ll seek to solidify their position as a College Football Playoff contender. The SEC title game isn’t out of the question, but they’ll need some help to get there. A win over Oklahoma and then next week in the Iron Bowl will pretty much solidify the Crimson Tide’s as at least an at-large bid.

Can the Oklahoma Sooners play spoiler this weekend and knock the Crimson Tide out of the playoff discussion? They’ll need to play a great game to do so and win these key matchups.

1. Oklahoma Run Game vs. Alabama Defense

The Alabama Crimson Tide come to Norman with a run defense allowing 132.2 yards per game, which is good for 53rd in the nation. Alabama held LSU to just 104 yards rushing on 24 attempts in a game that got away from the Tigers. The week before Bama allowed 169 yards rushing in their shutout win over Missouri.

In their losses to Tennessee and Vanderbilt, Alabama allowed 204 and 166 rushing yards.

It’s a unit that can be run, but much of it will depend on how much Alabama respects Oklahoma’s passing attack. They’re likely to crowd the box and force Oklahoma to beat them through the air. Still, even against crowded boxes, the Sooners need to lean into the running game.

The passing attack hasn’t been consistent all season, but the Sooners have found success on the ground over the last month.

The Sooners have to slow the game down and rely on the running game to keep the offense in favorable down and distances. Oklahoma doesn’t want to get into second- and third-and-long situations and be forced to pass.

Even if the game begins to get away from Oklahoma, they need to continue to lean into the running game with Xavier Robinson, Jovantae Barnes, Taylor Tatum, and Jackson Arnold.

Up Next: Can Oklahoma limit Explosive Plays?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Alabama WR Ryan Williams named semifinalist for Biletnikoff Award

Biletnikoff Award names Alabama Freshman WR Ryan Williams a semifinalist.

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.

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Alabama rolls in dominant 52-7 win over Mercer to set up final stretch run

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished strong in the second half of a 52-7 victory over the Mercer Bears Saturday. Here’s how it happened.

The No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide finished strong in a 52-7 win over the Mercer Bears Saturday afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama improved to 8-2 overall before its final two games of the regular season. Kalen DeBoer’s team heads to Norman next Saturday to face the Oklahoma Sooners before closing out the year with their Iron Bowl matchup against the Auburn Tigers in Tuscaloosa.

After jumping out to a 31-7 lead at halftime — a start in which the Tide got two big touchdowns from freshman sensation Ryan Williams and an impressive performance from quarterback Jalen Milroe — Alabama kept its foot on the gas to open the second half.

The Crimson Tide started the third quarter strong by driving 67 yards in 4:27 to take a 38-7 lead. Milroe hit Germie Bernard on a play that went for 23 yards to the Mercer 21-yard line, and Justice Haynes ran 12 yards for a first and goal at the Bears’ 3. Milroe eventually finished off a 10-play drive with a three-yard touchdown run.

That would mark the end of Milroe’s day. He finished 11-of-16 for 186 yards and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Milroe ran six times for 43 yards before backup Ty Simpson took over.

Simpson showed off his wheels on his first series with a 13-yard scramble on a 3rd and 11 play from Alabama’s 27-yard line.

Early in the fourth quarter, Simpson pulled off a pass reminiscent of Eli Manning’s Super Bowl escape against the New England Patriots in 2008 when he avoided a sack and hit tight end Josh Cuevas for a 43-yard gain and a first and goal at the 1.

Richard Young finished off the drive with his first career touchdown run for a 45-7 lead with 12:54 to play in the game. Simpson was 5-of-10 for 71 yards, plus the 13-yard scramble.

Alabama used two more backup quarterbacks, giving freshmen Dylan Lonergan and Washington transfer Austin Mack some snaps. Lonergan was 5-of-6 for 23 yards. He hit Ty Lockwood on a well-thrown short pass for a five-yard gain and a first down.

Mack, the fourth quarterback of the day, connected with fellow freshman Rico Scott for a 31-yard touchdown with 3:36 left for Alabama’s final score of the afternoon. Mack’s touchdown to Scott capped a 16-play, 79-yard drive that took 7:43 off the clock.

Alabama finished the day with an 508 yards of total offense (319 passing, 189 rushing) and 29 first downs.

Alabama vs Oklahoma Week 13 kickoff, TV info announced

The Crimson Tide will face the Oklahoma Sooners next Saturday night at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.

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Jalen Milroe, Alabama offense stay hot in explosive first half against Mercer

Alabama leads Mercer, 31-7, at halftime after a BIG first half from Jalen Milroe, Ryan Williams and the Crimson Tide offense.

It’s halftime at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the No. 9 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are rolling against the Mercer Bears.

At the break, Alabama leads Mercer, 31-7. Here’s how the Crimson Tide have built their big lead at intermission.

After Domani Jackson forced a fumble that Damon Payne Jr. recovered on Mercer’s first drive, Alabama took over at its 48-yard line.

The Crimson Tide wasted no time finding the end-zone on their first possession. Freshman phenom Ryan Williams took a jet sweep 29 yards to the outside to give Alabama a 7-0 lead just over four minutes in after Graham Nicholson added the extra point.

Jalen Milroe and the offense needed only four plays and 1:16 off the clock to drive 52 yards for the opening touchdown.

Williams struck again on Alabama’s next series, making a 17-yard reception for a first down before taking a drop-off from Milroe and going 14 yards for his second touchdown of the first quarter. That made it 14-0 with 4:08 left in the opening period. The Crimson Tide drove 89 yards on nine plays and used 4:21 off the clock.

Mercer drove into Alabama territory twice in the first quarter but turned the ball over both times. Late in the quarter, Qua Russaw made an interception off a tipped pass to give the Tide the ball at their 32-yard line.

Alabama finished the drive early in the second quarter when a wide-open Robbie Ouzts hauled in a perfect pass from Milroe for a 44-yard touchdown and a 21-0 Crimson Tide lead. It was a seven-play, 68-yard drive. Milroe was 7-of-8 for 107 yards and two touchdowns to that point.

Mercer hit a long pass for 43 yards to Javarius George, who fumbled at the end on a well-timed hit from DaShawn Jones. True freshman Zabien Brown scooped it and ran 68 yards for a 28-0 Alabama lead with 8:45 to play in the half.

Mercer scored its only points of the first half with 1:58 to play when quarterback Whitt Newbauer threw a perfect pass to Kendall Harris, who made a sensational grab for a 31-yard touchdown.

On Alabama’s first play from scrimmage on its ensuing possession, Milroe hit Germie Bernard for 45 yards to the Mercer 30-yard line. That led to a perfect 45-yard Nicholson field goal to put the Tide ahead, 31-7, with 55 seconds to go before halftime.

At halftime, Alabama has 254 yards of total offense and 13 first downs. Milroe started 8-of-9 and finished the half 9-of-14 for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Milroe also had four rushes for 36 yards in the first half, including a 16-yard carry.

Williams’ three plays (two catches, one rush) have totaled 60 yards and resulted in two touchdowns.

It’s been a good day for the Alabama offense.