Ryan Williams has made some spectacular plays for Alabama this season. But it's been his struggles with the simple ones that have stood out more than anything, and have held him back from reaching the full potential of his talent.
Williams has produced 336 receiving yards and three touchdowns in just four games this year. But those numbers would be even better - and he'd have at least two more touchdowns - if he could reliably catch the football.
Williams is tied for the FBS lead with six drops. He dropped three passes in the season-opening loss to Florida State. He missed Week 2 against UL Monroe with a concussion, but returned with a bang against Wisconsin. He caught five passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He should have had six catches and three touchdowns, but he dropped a ball in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Against Georgia, Williams dropped a wide-open touchdown on the first drive of the game. Ty Simpson delivered a perfect ball to Williams, who had gotten behind the defense, but he couldn't haul it in. That could have been a critical mistake, but the Crimson Tide punched in a touchdown later on that drive anyway.
Last week against Vanderbilt, with Alabama leading by six in the fourth quarter and driving to put the game away, Williams dropped what would've been a third-down conversion deep in Vanderbilt territory that forced the Tide to settle for a third Connor Talty field goal.
The drops have been the story of the season for Williams, rendering some of his spectacular moments into mere footnotes. Williams doesn't believe the issues are due to anything with his training. He believes it's all mental.
“1,000%, yeah,” Williams said in response to a question about the drops being mental. “It’s really simple, literally just looking the ball all the way to the tuck. That’s pretty much all I can do.
"Just trying to do what’s best for the team, because every ball that goes in the air, of course, I’m gonna try to make that play for my quarterback, for my teammates. So really just focusing on being in the moment and really just trying to focus on the ball instead of what my next move is.”
Alabama needs Ryan Williams to get his drop issues fixed
Alabama has one of the best wide receiver rooms in the country. With Williams, Germie Bernard, and Isaiah Horton, that's a trio of guys who would be the No. 1 WR on many teams around the country. Simpson has chemistry with all three, and it makes the Tide's offense difficult to combat.
The emergence of freshman Lotzeir Brooks and the depth down the roster with guys like Rico Scott gives Alabama a luxury that not many teams have. But at the end of the day, regardless of how solid Bernard has been, Williams is the most talented wide receiver on the roster. He's arguably the most talented player, period.
For Alabama to reach its goals, it needs the spectacular plays that only Williams can provide. But it also needs him to make the simple ones, too.