What if Ryan Williams exceeds expectations?

True freshman Ryan Williams might be the player Alabama fans are most excited to see this fall. Williams was so electrifying in his high school days at Saraland that he became the first two-time winner of Alabama’s Mr. Football Award…all before his senior season. The consensus 5-star ultimately decided to skip his final year of high school to enroll early at the University of Alabama, and will take the field for the Crimson Tide this season.  

Williams comes to Tuscaloosa with a lot of fanfare, perhaps more than any player since Julio Jones in 2008. Many fans and media members have tried to temper their expectations so as to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the youngster. After all, Williams is just 17 years old and will be for the entirety of the 2024 season. He is also slight of frame, listed at just 165 pounds on the Tide’s official roster. Stepping into the SEC should not be easy, even for a player of Williams’ talent. 

But what if it is? Being undersized has not always been a limiting factor for Alabama receivers (see David Palmer, Tyrone Prothro, Devonta Smith, etc). Many have used the freshman seasons of guys like Devonta Smith and Jerry Jeudy to set expectations for Williams. This would dictate that perhaps Ryan Williams is the most talented of the Bama receivers and shows flashes of that talent, but that he must be eased into the offense and plays more of a supplementary role to older guys like Germie Bernard and Kobe Prentice. 

While this is probably the most likely scenario, there is still the possibility that Williams is even better than we thought. There is the chance that he doesn’t need an acclimation period and is the best receiver on the team from day one.

In 2008, Julio Jones burst onto the scene and led the Tide with 58 receptions for 924 yards and four touchdowns. In 2012, Amari Cooper came in as a true freshman and led Alabama with 59 grabs for 1,000 yards and 11 scores. The highlight of his season was his game-winning touchdown catch against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Both Jones and Cooper went on to lead the Bama receiving corps for three years, each earning national titles along the way, before becoming first-round draft picks. 

Who’s to say Ryan Williams' career can’t follow a similar trajectory? Both Jones and Cooper had returning starting quarterbacks as true freshmen, but stepped into receiver rooms that lacked a proven future pro. The argument could be made that Williams is entering the same situation. 

Though he is listed as a wide receiver, Ryan Williams is a dynamic weapon that can be deployed all over the field. He can play outside or in the slot, giving Alabama’s offensive staff the opportunity to hunt for favorable matchups for him. Much like Kendrick Law and Germie Bernard, he is dangerous in space and could get touches on screens, handoffs, or jet sweeps. Williams can even return kicks and punts if necessary, notching four returns for touchdowns in his high school career. 

I think Kalen DeBoer, Nick Sheridan, and JaMarcus Shephard will have a field day with Ryan Williams. Their schematic creativity should put him in positions to succeed early and often. If he is truly ready to go from day one, he might just be the best receiver on this team.