Five-star expectations can turn into instant superstardom, or they can turn into a long, messy waiting game. Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams has already shown both sides of that equation, and CBS Sports believes the 19-year-old junior is still on track to land where the hype said he should.
Cooper Petagna revisited the class of 2024’s elite prospects and projected whether they’ll meet expectations in 2026, and Coleman-Williams made the cut. Petagna pointed to the highs and the drop-off that followed, writing, "After electrifying the sport at 17 years of age as a true freshman, Coleman-Williams suffered somewhat of a setback as a sophomore, seeing dip in receiving yards, yards per reception and leading the FBS in drops with 13," Petagna wrote.
Even with that uneven second season, Petagna still sees the ceiling. "Although his second-year production didn't quite meet the standard set by his freshman season, Coleman-Williams' game-breaking ability is still one of the anchors of Alabama's passing game, and there's no doubt he's a legitimate Day 1 NFL talent."
That assessment comes after a freshman year that announced Coleman-Williams in a major way. His breakout against Georgia in 2024 was the kind of performance that makes people stop and recalibrate what they think a player can become: six catches, 177 yards, and the game-winning touchdown. But the rest of that season never quite matched the opening burst, and he did not top 82 yards in any of Alabama’s nine remaining games.
Still, the résumé from 2024 was strong enough to pile up honors. Coleman-Williams earned First Team and All-Freshman recognition from the SEC, and four outlets named him Freshman All-America.
The next season brought more flashes, but not enough consistency. His best game in 2025 came against Wisconsin, when he caught five passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. After that, the production tapered again, and he finished with 49 receptions for 689 yards and four touchdowns.
Now Alabama is asking him to do it with a third quarterback in as many seasons. Austin Mack and Keelon Russell are battling for the starting job, and Russell sounds like the favorite. At receiver, Coleman-Williams is the most established option left after Germie Bernard moved on to the NFL and Isaiah Horton transferred to Texas A&M.
Lotzeir Brooks is also part of the mix after catching 32 passes for 441 yards and two touchdowns in 2025, but Alabama’s receiver room is still largely a work in progress.
Some of Coleman-Williams’ dip in production traces back to a rushing attack that never gave the offense enough balance. Alabama has tried to fix that by bringing in a new coach and new personnel for the offensive line, while also adding five-star freshman running back EJ Crowell to join Daniel Hill in hopes of giving the offense more dimension in 2026.
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