Alabama’s 2022 class was spectacular for many reasons. Firstly, it was ranked 2nd nationally and had 4 5-star commits. The second thing was their transfers, as they roped in 14 transfers, including Kadyn Proctor and Keon Sabb. However, the major attraction in their 2024 class was Ryan Williams’ last-minute reclassification to 2024 from 2025, which started what we are seeing and will see at Alabama in the near future.
This was a player who was coming through with an incredible 5-star rating by On3 and was ranked 3rd nationally in his WR position. This not only gave the Tides hope of a player replacing their star man, Jermaine Burton, but also will provide too many incredible moments as true freshmen. The player had 865 yards for just 48 receptions and had a stellar average of 18 yards per reception, scoring 10 touchdowns. This was unparalleled in the first season and has now opened up a new avenue for the player.
Granted that Bama didn’t make it to the postseason, but the Milroe and Williams duo did produce some memorable moments. Remember their last-minute play against Georgia to clinch the game? Jalen Milroe’s deep ball and Ryan Williams not only caught the pass (an achievement in itself) but took it for a touchdown. Now, with Milroe gone, the young prodigy will have someone else under the center.
Ryan Williams, in a recent interview, talks about what stood out for him the most at Alabama and how he plans to make use of his remaining years. “You know, I’m getting a little bigger. Can’t tell? Just a little bit. But I’m getting a little bigger. So, just trying to impact-block because, you know, my guys watch for me. So just trying to return that favor down the field blocking, and you know, get better. You can never not get better running routes and, you know, just being a better leader, so, just trying to improve overall.”
Ryan Williams built different pic.twitter.com/NRAJml6e1B
— Cover Crimson (@CoverCrimson) March 20, 2025
This is a player who just had his first season and lit up the field and would be looking forward to the 2025 season. Standing at 6 feet and 175 lbs, he has gained 10 lbs since last season and will be looking to provide that edge in physicality for Alabama. Hopefully, he can provide another showing as he did season after season at his high school. He led the Saarland Spartans to their second consecutive national championship and produced 1,324 receiving yards, including 19 TDs. That being said, he still will have a problem on his hands.
Jalen Milroe has gone pro, and the QB room is left with no clear frontrunner. What follows is that there are 3 QBs who are in that running, but can they even provide what Milroe had for Alabama? Surely, Austin Mack is someone looking for his break for some time now. But he has always struggled to make his place within the starting squad. Then there is Keelon Russell, a 5-star freshman QB looking to make his mark in these spring practices. Lastly, there is Ty Simpson, someone who has seen some snaps and has 381 passing yards in 50 pass attempts with 130 rushing yards. He currently looks to be the guy, but, the race is quite open as of now.
Ryan Williams accepts the Jalen Milroe challenge on Pro-Day
We all know the type of performances Jalen Milroe put in over the years. as he was a QB who carried an intensive dual threat with him in every season. In his last season, that was more pronounced as he ran for 726 yards and passed for 2,844 yards, contributing and scoring directly for 31 touchdowns. Beyond impressive. We saw an example of his running in the recent Pro Day at Alabama. Milroe ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.37 seconds. That had Ryan Williams riled up.
Williams posted on X after Milroe’s performance and said, “No surprises. My guy went 4.37. Jalen Milroe the best athlete in the country. But, he knows and I know I’m faster than him. So when it is my time.” Later, in a recent interview, the player even expanded on the challenge when asked if he can realistically beat 4.37. “I would definitely, we already talked about it, it’ll definitely a fun experience, but I just tried to do what’s best for my quarterback, Just communicating with him throughout the day. It was just exciting to see, you know, how to light it up like that and, you know, just me being able to feel part of it and help him out a little bit.”
Ryan Williams feels confident he would DEFINITELY beat Jalen Milroe’s 40-yard dash time of 4.37. Williams also said it was a fun experience to support his former QB at pro day and exciting to see him “light it up”.
: @_NickKelly pic.twitter.com/RrgXhgRXq7
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) March 20, 2025
Well, Ryan Williams did help Jalen Milroe in showcasing his passing prowess as he produced those incredible receptions. The duo looked well-oiled, and with Milroe’s 4.37-second milestone, teams surely will be looking at him a lot more closely now. In the 52 passes that Milroe threw on Pro Day, he completed 45 of them. Demonstrating the kind of arm strength he has and giving reasons to teams like the Cleveland Browns (who are reportedly after him) to pick the man in the draft.
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