Ryan Williams had a historic freshman season for the Crimson Tide in 2024. At just 17 years old, Williams turned 48 catches into 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He returns for his sophomore year as a near-consensus preseason All-American, only marginally overshadowed by Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, who was even better as a freshman last year.
However, Saturday Blitz college football expert Nicholas Rome has another returning sophomore wide receiver slotted ahead of Williams in his top 50 wide receiver rankings for 2025, and Alabama fans are going to hate which team he plays for.
Ryan Williams at No. 3 in WR rankings, one spot behind Auburn’s Cam Coleman
Cam Coleman was also excellent as a freshman last year. Another five-star member of an unforgettable 2024 wide receiver recruiting class who immediately contributed at a high level in Power Conference football. At 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds, Coleman has a more physically imposing style, a true X receiver who can win one-on-one with his rare combination of size and speed. He’s everything a team could want in a five-star; he just isn’t Ryan Williams.
Of Coleman, Rome wrote, “While Ryan Williams got the most attention among Freshmen WRs in Alabama, Cam Coleman was quietly just as impressive. Despite Auburn's issues at Quarterback, Coleman still managed to put together an impressive season. The end of the season stretch that Coleman put together should be the most exciting stretch for Auburn fans as everything started to click for Coleman late in the year.”
Yes, he was dealing with a tumultuous quarterback situation at Auburn, and yes, he was the No. 2 target behind KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Still, Coleman caught 37 passes (11 fewer than Williams) for 598 yards (267 fewer than Williams) and eight touchdowns. He trailed Williams significantly in yards per route run, one of the best wide receiver efficiency metrics, at 1.84 to Williams’ 2.51. Coleman was third among Auburn wide receivers in yards per route run, trailing both Lambert-Smith and Malcolm Simmons, another outstanding freshman.
Williams may not have the imposing stature of Coleman, but his body control and explosiveness are even more unique. Despite standing just 6 feet and weighing 175 pounds, Williams finished the year with eight contested catches on 16 opportunities to Coleman’s three for nine. With the ball in his hands, Williams forced 16 missed tackles to Coleman’s four.
The only area that Coleman has a leg-up on Williams is in terms of drops, but that’s understandable considering Williams had a WR1-level target share at 17 years old, while Coleman was a clear No. 2 at Auburn.
Jeremiah Smith will be the best wide receiver in the country this season, that’s undeniable, but Williams will cement himself as 1A. He’s such a rare talent at the position, and while Coleman is excellent in his own right, he’ll struggle to match Williams’ impact and production in 2025.