Ryan Williams Isn’t Running From the Challenge - He’s Running It Back at Alabama
In a college football era where the transfer portal can feel like a revolving door, Ryan Williams is choosing something different: stability. The Alabama wide receiver confirmed this week that he’s staying in Tuscaloosa for his junior season, shutting down any speculation about a potential transfer ahead of the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal showdown with No. 1 Indiana at the Rose Bowl.
“Of course,” Williams said when asked if he'd be back in 2026. “I'm Alabama through and through. I have no intentions of being anywhere else.”
That’s a strong statement from a player whose career arc has taken some unexpected turns. After bursting onto the national scene as a 17-year-old freshman in 2024, Williams looked like the next great Alabama wideout. He racked up 865 yards and eight touchdowns on just 48 catches that year, including a jaw-dropping six-catch, 177-yard performance against Georgia that had fans and scouts alike buzzing.
But the sophomore season? That’s been a different story.
Williams’ production has dipped, and the numbers tell a tale of a player still searching for consistency. In 2025, he’s posted 636 yards and four touchdowns on 43 receptions - a noticeable step back from his freshman output despite a similar workload.
The biggest red flag? His drop rate.
Per Pro Football Focus, Williams has dropped nearly 19% of his targets this season, ranking fourth-worst among qualifying FBS receivers. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a player once seen as a future focal point of Alabama’s offense.
But here’s the thing: Williams isn’t running from the slump - he’s owning it.
“It’s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows,” he said. “So whether you call it a ‘sophomore slump’ or whatever you call it, I know who I am and I know when the time is right my performance will be what’s best for the team.”
That kind of accountability is rare, especially for a player who entered college football with so much hype. Williams was a five-star recruit out of Saraland, Alabama, ranked as the No. 3 wide receiver and No. 8 overall prospect in the 2024 class.
And let’s not forget - he reclassified to enroll early. By the traditional timeline, he’d only be a freshman now.
Instead, he’s already played two full seasons under the brightest lights in college football.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer isn’t shying away from the fact that Williams’ numbers have taken a hit. But he’s also not losing faith.
“He had such a big year last year as a freshman,” DeBoer said. “I know you can always have more, but there’s just been a non-stop level of work that he puts in.
His attitude, people can always say stuff, but you don’t know. When you’re there with him, and you see the smile, the work, the team-first attitude that he has, you can’t help but root for him.”
DeBoer is betting on the process - not just the production. And he’s not alone in thinking that Williams still has another breakout moment in him.
“He’s going to have a game like he’s had at different times where he goes off,” DeBoer said. “And I’m just waiting for that moment because when it is, it’s going to be awesome.
And we’re all going to be super happy for him. And I know it’s coming sooner than later.”
For now, Williams remains firmly in Alabama’s plans as the Tide prepare for their biggest test of the season. Against top-ranked Indiana in the Rose Bowl, the stakes couldn’t be higher. And while Williams may not be the same highlight-reel machine he was as a freshman, his presence still matters - not just for what he’s done, but for what he still might do.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but Williams isn’t taking the off-ramp. He’s staying the course in Tuscaloosa, betting on himself and the program that believed in him from the start. And if that next breakout game is indeed just around the corner, there may be no better stage than the College Football Playoff for him to remind everyone exactly who he is.