If you followed college football in the fall of 2024, you probably heard the name Ryan Williams tossed around a lot - and for good reason. The Alabama wideout looked every bit like the next great receiver to come through Tuscaloosa.
As a true freshman, he flashed the kind of talent that had fans and analysts alike putting him in the same breath as Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. That’s no small compliment.
But fast forward to the end of his sophomore season, and the conversation around Williams has shifted - not because he disappeared, but because the leap everyone expected didn’t quite happen.
NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper made that clear when breaking down Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson’s stock. While evaluating Simpson’s performance, Kiper pointed to Alabama’s broader offensive struggles and specifically noted that Williams "wasn't what we thought" in 2025. It was a pointed comment, but not without merit.
Let’s unpack that.
Williams didn’t fall off a cliff - he just didn’t climb the next hill. His sophomore numbers were solid: 49 catches, 689 yards, and four touchdowns.
But when you stack that up against his freshman breakout - 48 receptions, 865 yards, and eight scores - the production didn’t take the expected next step. If anything, it plateaued.
What really stood out, though, was the drop rate. Williams struggled with consistency, finishing second in the nation among qualifying receivers with a 14.3% drop rate and 10 total drops. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a player with his ceiling, and it’s the kind of stat that jumps off the page for scouts looking for polish at the next level.
Still, let’s not forget what makes Ryan Williams special. The explosiveness?
Still there. The ability to flip a game with a single play?
Absolutely. But the consistency - that week-to-week dominance that turns great receivers into game-planning nightmares - that’s what was missing.
At his best, Williams is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. But in year two, he was more of a moment-to-moment weapon than a constant force.
There were games where he’d flash, then fade. He could still stretch a defense, but he didn’t always dictate how teams defended Alabama.
And that’s the difference between a good receiver and a great one - not just making plays, but shaping the entire game plan.
There were stretches where Alabama’s offense found ways to move the ball without him, which says something. Not necessarily about his talent, but about his role. In those moments, Williams wasn’t the focal point - he was just another option.
That’s not to say the book is closed on him. Far from it.
Heading into his junior season, there’s still a clear path for Williams to reclaim that top-tier status. It starts with the fundamentals - securing the football, sharpening his route tree, and showing he can be effective both inside and outside. He doesn’t need to reinvent himself, but he does need to evolve.
If he can clean up the drops and become a more reliable, every-down target, the upside is still sky-high. And if that happens, it won’t just boost his draft stock - it could elevate Alabama’s entire offense under Kalen DeBoer heading into the fall.
Ryan Williams still has all the tools. Now it’s about putting them together, play after play, game after game. If he does, the conversation around him will shift again - this time, back to where it started: as one of the most dangerous receivers in college football.