One of the biggest subplots of the Iron Bowl was the odd lack of usage for sophomore WR Ryan Williams. Alabama won the game, 27-20, but Williams didn't record a catch and didn't receive a single target during the Iron Bowl.
It was the second game this season where Williams didn't record a catch. He also went reception-less during Alabama's road win over Missouri in October. In that game, Williams appeared clearly hobbled and spent the week on the Crimson Tide's availability report. He wasn't listed at all during the lead-up to the Iron Bowl, but was still not a prominent - or any - part of the gameplan against Auburn.
Williams played just 38 of Alabama's 75 snaps. That was fourth among the Tide's WRs, behind Germie Bernard (70), Isaiah Horton (53), and Lotzeir Brooks (39). During key moments in the game, Williams found himself on the sideline, clearly behind Bernard and Horton, and the coaching staff seemed to favor the freshman Brooks, too.
On the SEC Championship Game teleconference on Sunday evening, DeBoer was asked about the lack of usage for his star sophomore WR, and he said there was nothing really to read into.
"There was really nothing to read into there at all," DeBoer said. "I think there were opportunities where the ball could have found him. Plays where -- it's not like they're designed specifically for him. That's really not how a lot of our offense is. There might be screens and things like that that are intentionally trying to get touches. But as far as the pass concepts, just we didn't get to him in the route or things like that."
DeBoer did seem to regret not getting Williams more involved in the game, however, particularly with the offense struggling for large stretches, again.
"We got to be intentional, because he's a playmaker for us," DeBoer said.
Ryan Williams has had a frustrating and disappointing sophomore season
Williams entered the 2025 season as one of college football's brightest stars. He exploded onto the scene a year ago as a 17-year-old freshman phenom, producing 865 yards and eight touchdowns as a receiver, while adding two more touchdowns on the ground.
His sophomore campaign has been short of what he hoped for and what fans expected. He's struggled with drops throughout the year, and his 40 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns are well below his numbers from a season ago.
Whether the coaching staff has lost trust in him - or whether he's still dealing with a nagging injury that has limited his explosiveness - it's hard to listen to DeBoer and not read into what we all saw during Saturday's game.
Williams looked visibly frustrated on the sidelines at times. He clearly wanted to play more than he did. And he clearly would have liked to have the football in his hands.
If Alabama is going to beat Georgia in next week's SEC Championship Game, they are going to need the offense to get out of neutral. Williams being his explosive self would go a long way in curing what has ailed them.