Life after Nick Saban has not been easy at all for Alabama.
You just knew the pressure was going to be there, as Saban is the GOAT when it comes to college coaching. Kalen DeBoer fell flat on his face in Year 1, but the Tide were able to get to the College Football Playoff this past season.
Kalen DeBoer offers praise to one of Alabama's most underrated portal additions
Despite taking down Oklahoma in the first round, the haters were out in full force when Indiana took down the Tide in Pasadena without breaking a sweat. All of the hate that came in was hard to ignore for the players, but stud wideout Ryan Coleman-Williams doesn't seem to care about that. If anything, he's using it as motivation to remind everyone that Bama is Still Bama:
NEW: Ryan Coleman-Williams tells @Clowfb he isn’t worried about Alabama being slept on post-Saban:
— On3 (@On3) April 3, 2026
“We don’t care if they’re asleep or awake. We’re going to make them stand up.”https://t.co/uwMw3twEYk https://t.co/I9YDMf2rJB pic.twitter.com/WCspGvisrJ
Ryan Coleman-Williams is ready for Alabama to put on a show in 2026
You've almost got to feel bad for DeBoer. He was put in a nearly-impossible situation in taking over for one of the best coaches of all time regardless of sport. Sure, his first season was a bit of a disaster, but we saw positive steps taken in '25.
Now, more of the same needs to be on the way in '26, as everyone is counting down the days for Week 1 to get here. Coleman-Williams himself is in dire need of a bounce-back year. During his freshman campaign, he looked like someone destined to be a Top 5 pick in the future.
His sophomore season didn't quite go to plan, with him taking a bit of a step back. He's fired up to have a big junior year, as he's going to be a top target for whoever ends up taking over the starting job for NFL-bound Ty Simpson in Tuscaloosa.
Last fall and winter, Coleman-Williams posted 49 receptions for 689 yards and four touchdowns. This came after 865 yards and eight scores in '24. The expectations are high for him and his teammates moving forward and they're going to do everything possible to deliver. Yes, Coleman-Williams knows Alabama is always going to be monitored closely, but he's all for it. If anything, he wants people to sit back and enjoy the show that's on the way.