It has been a big day for Ryan Williams.
The star Alabama WR was announced as one of the two cover athletes for the upcoming EA Sports College Football 26 video game. In the process, Williams dropped a quote to On3 that will have Crimson Tide fans everywhere ready to run through a brick wall.
Last season's disappointment is being used as fuel for the 2025 Alabama team. Facing the same opponents in SEC play this year as last year, you can call it a redemption tour of sorts. It's College Football Playoff or bust in Tuscaloosa next season, and this team is talented enough to win the whole thing.
Growing up an Alabama fan, nobody on the team took last season's 9-4 record harsher than Williams. It is still fresh on his mind as we head into the summer:
Williams is, amazingly, almost correct. He was born in 2007, so his first year on this earth, Alabama went 7-6 in Nick Saban's first season as the Crimson Tide's head coach. After that, Alabama won at least 10 games in every single season from 2008-2023. It won at least 11 games in every season during that span, aside from 2010.
Talk is obviously cheap, but talk is all you have this time of year. The talk around the program this offseason is promising. Spring practice was good to Kalen Deboer and Alabama. The buy-in is high with the players and the fanbase. Expectations are through the roof for what this team has the potential to accomplish on the field.
Guys like Williams are a big reason why.
Ryan Williams should flourish in his second season at Alabama
As a 17-year-old freshman, Williams had a terrific first season at the Capstone. He caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He added a couple of rushing touchdowns. The first two times he touched the ball, he scored touchdowns. He had a miraculous game-winning play to beat Georgia in his first SEC action.
He wasn't as productive down the stretch of the season, but Alabama's passing game was inconsistent, and he and Germie Bernard were the only real threats at WR. That shouldn't be a problem anymore.
With the addition of Isaiah Horton from Miami in the Transfer Portal, Alabama has as good a trio of starting receivers as you'll find anywhere in the country. A healthy Jalen Hale and Cole Adams will help the depth. True freshman Lotzeir Brooks looks like an immediate contributor.
Alabama is deep and talented at WR. It's an upgraded group from last season. If teams want to hyper-focus on Williams, there are plenty of other guys who can beat you now. But as talented as he is, I doubt even hyper-focusing on him will stop him in year two.