Ryan Williams won’t be 17 anymore when the 2025 Alabama football season begins. The Crimson Tide wide receiver, the most famous minor in college football during his true freshman year, will be facing enormous expectations as a sophomore, with a new quarterback and facing defenses that have plenty of tape on him.

The 2024 college football season saw a whole new flock of athletes take the world by storm, namely wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State, who capped off the season with the game-sealing catch in the national title.

On Jan. 24, 2024, Saraland five-star wide receiver Ryan William s re-committed to Alabama football, initially ending his commitment after Nick Saban's retirement. One year later, Williams, per DeBoer, has developed into one of the leaders of the Crimson Tide wide receiver room before he's reached his 18th birthday.

Alabama found something special last season with 17-year-old wide receiver Ryan Williams, as the freshman took the college football world by storm with his play throughout his first collegiate season.

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams burst onto the college football scene in 2024, cementing himself as one of the best pass catchers in the sport. Williams is fresh off his freshman season with the Crimson Tide, where he served as the No. 1 wide receiver at just 17 years old after reclassifying to the 2024 recruiting class.

Kalen DeBoer said as good as freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams was last season, there is still another level the receiver can go.

Alabama football did not look the same in 2024 without Nick Saban at head coach. The Crimson Tide hired former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer to take over for Saban after his shocking retirement in January 2024.

Williams originally committed to Alabama as the No. 3 wide receiver and No. 4 overall player in the class of 2024, per 247Sports. The Alabama native reclassified from 2025 to 2024 after being heavily recruited by the Crimson Tide as a high school junior.