Ryan Williams inks major - and legitimate - NIL deal with legendary brand

Not many stars are shining brighter in college football these days than Ryan Williams. Nicknamed "Hollywood", Williams burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old true freshman in 2024. He had one of the biggest plays of the season when he caught the eventual game-winning touchdown to lead the Crimson Tide to a win over Georgia in September.

Last season was just the beginning for Williams, and he was just scratching the surface of where his immense talent will eventually lead him.

His talent and stardom are being recognized outside of Tuscaloosa. Williams was one of the two cover athletes for College Football 26, joining fellow star sophomore WR Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State. Now, Williams has inked a major NIL deal with the biggest brand in sports.

Ryan Williams signs an NIL deal with Nike

Nike announced the deal on Friday morning:

Via a press release from Nike, Williams said: “Since I can remember, Nike has always been the best fit on and off the field. Family has always been a huge part of who I am. When I had the opportunity to join the Nike family, I knew I had to just do it.”

Details of the deal have yet to be made public, but this is a major, and legitimate, NIL deal for Williams. Per Pete Nakos, he becomes just the second college football player to sign an NIL deal with Nike, joining former Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who signed with Nike last August before his final season in Boulder.

This deal is exactly what NIL is supposed to be in college sports. This is Williams capitalizing on his and Alabama's brand, not just money being funneled to him through a collective. This is one of the first legitimate NIL deals to be publicized since the groundbreaking House vs. NCAA settlement, which legalized revenue-sharing and is expected to bring major changes to NIL and the end of booster-backed collectives.

Williams is gearing up for his sophomore season in Tuscaloosa, and Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer was highly complimentary of his star WR at SEC Media Days, praising his work ethic this offseason.

New OC Ryan Grubb will look to find creative ways to get the ball in the hands of Williams. The sophomore WR will have more help alongside him this season, with an impressive core of receivers joining him to prevent too much bracket coverage. Germie Bernard is back, and Miami (FL) transfer Isaiah Horton gives Alabama a legitimate No. 3 option on the outside, which the team sorely lacked a season ago.

The depth behind that trio is impressive, too, with young WRs like Rico Scott and Lotzeir Brooks plenty good enough to find playing time.

Williams should be in store for an even bigger year two.