The anticipation for the 2026 college football season is building, with just over six months remaining until kickoff. While many programs aim to build on their successes from 2025, others are focused on correcting past mistakes. One such program is Alabama, which is striving to regain its prominence in the sport. A significant part of the Crimson Tide”s struggles last season can be traced back to the underperformance of wide receiver Ryan Williams.
Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 178 pounds, Williams was a highly touted five-star recruit when he committed to Alabama, ranking just behind Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Cam Coleman of Texas in the 2024 wide receiver class. He had a stellar campaign in 2024, emerging as Alabama”s leading receiver with 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, along with two rushing touchdowns. His standout performance included two games with over 100 receiving yards, particularly shining in the Crimson Tide”s victory over Georgia on September 28, 2024. Williams was honored with selections to the All-SEC First Team and the All-SEC Freshman Team, solidifying his reputation as a rising star.
However, the 2025 season proved to be a setback for Williams. He managed to secure 49 receptions for 689 yards and only four touchdowns. His performance saw him hit the 100-yard mark just once, during a game against Wisconsin on September 13. His total of 689 receiving yards ranked him twentieth among wide receivers nationally, positioning him ninth among returning SEC players, notably trailing behind Cam Coleman.
With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Williams is in a crucial position to demonstrate his abilities to NFL scouts. Recently, Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports included Williams in a list of ten players poised for a comeback in 2026. Jeyarajah remarked, “Ryan Williams was the most disappointing player of 2025 by a fairly wide margin. After earning numerous preseason All-America honors, Williams finished in a distant second in receptions and receiving yards on his own team. With fellow top receivers Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton gone, Williams will be asked to take a step toward superstardom. The talent is there; is the production?”
As Jeyarajah noted, Germie Bernard has exhausted his eligibility, while Isaiah Horton has transferred to Texas A&M, leaving Williams as one of the key figures in the receiving corps. The only other returning wide receiver with a significant contribution is Lotzeir Brooks, who concluded 2025 with 32 catches for 441 yards and two touchdowns. This creates a critical opportunity for Williams to step up and fulfill the expectations that once surrounded him.
