It has not been the sophomore season Ryan Williams hoped for in Tuscaloosa. But the amount of criticism this kid has gotten this year borders on ridiculous.
Williams has had issues with ball security this season. He has had more than his share of drops, and his fumble on a punt return against Oklahoma was back-breaking. But the loss to Oklahoma shouldn't be laid solely at his feet.
Ty Simpson turned it over twice. Connor Talty missed a chip-shot field goal. Jam Miller and Daniel Hill both missed key blitz pick-ups that resulted in sacks. Alabama allowed a 42-yard punt return. The blame for the loss goes all over the roster.
But for whatever reason, everyone wants to focus on the 18-year-old sophomore. It's a societal fault. The only thing society enjoys more than building you up is tearing you back down again. Williams was the toast of college football last season as a 17-year-old freshman, but a year later, every single mistake he makes is amplified.
The criticism he has received from the fanbase has gone too far. He's also catching criticism from others, including an NFL legend who certainly isn't paying full attention to what he's seeing during the game.
Former Broncos TE and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe was harsh in his criticism of Williams in the aftermath of the Tide' loss to Oklahoma:
Former NFL TE and Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe offered a bold take on Alabama WR Ryan Williams.
— Crimson Coverage (@CrimsonCoverage) November 17, 2025
“He not even the best receiver on his own team,” Sharpe said, “Bernard is better than he is. Horton is playing better than he is.”
What are your thoughts? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/DUp4BrsTkx
Shannon Sharpe rips Ryan Williams after Alabama's loss to Oklahoma
I don't think even Williams would argue that Germie Bernard has been the Crimson Tide's best WR this year. Bernard might be the best player on the whole team.
But saying Isaiah Horton is playing better than Williams is nonsense. Williams has over 200 more receiving yards than Horton and one less touchdown. He's also the focal point of defensive game plans. Horton isn't.
Sharpe knows football at a level that I never will. He played the game at the highest level. But he's off base here. And if you scroll through his X feed from during the Alabama game on Saturday, he also just has no idea what he's watching.
Bama you keep bringing Carroll in as an extra lineman and he gets beat every time. Same thing happened last week. 🙄🙄🙄
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 15, 2025
Michael Carroll started - and played every snap - at right tackle for Alabama against Oklahoma. He was at no point brought in as an extra lineman, nor was he getting beaten every single time, either.
These are the folks who are offering criticism of players. The talking heads on TV who half pay attention to games but have massive platforms.
Keep that in mind before you put too much stock in what they have to say.