You ever seen a Ferrari stuck in traffic? All that horsepower, just sitting there, waiting to explode down the freeway—but stuck behind minivans and red lights? That’s Ryan Williams right now. Look, Tuscaloosa’s still adjusting to this no-Saban era like a kid getting used to black coffee. Kalen DeBoer walked into Bryant-Denny with some big shoes to fill, and after a 9-4 season—the worst since ‘07—you could feel the whole state of Alabama side-eyeing the man like, ‘You sure you know what you’re doing, coach?’ The Tide ain’t used to watching the CFP from the couch, and after 3 Ls in 1 season, folks are throwing strays. Big 2025 for Kalen DeBoer. Look everyone in Tuscaloosa knows Bama’s got a speed demon at wideout, but something’s got the brakes on. And when a former Tide QB goes public with a revelation that’s got Crimson Nation doing double takes? Yeah, it’s time to talk.
On April 7th, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy jumped on his mic for the Always College Football podcast and casually dropped a bomb while listing his top five wideouts for 2025. At No. 2? None other than Alabama’s own Ryan Williams. But it wasn’t the ranking that made heads spin—it was what he said next. “Ryan Williams came onto the scene in remarkable fashion,” McElroy said. “He showed up in June and didn’t even have spring ball under his belt. Yet within two or three months, he was a major difference-maker.” Let that sink in. The kid didn’t even get spring reps last year. Just showed up, strapped on the cleats, and started bodying SEC corners like it was seven-on-seven in his backyard. No full offseason. No padded practices. Just raw juice, instincts, and next-level feel for the game.
Now fast forward to this year. McElroy basically told us to buckle up: “Now imagine what Ryan Williams is going to be now that he’s had nine months to work and prepare for the upcoming season.” Translation: If he cooked last year with microwave prep, what’s he gonna do with a full-course meal? Let’s run the numbers real quick. Ryan Williams went for 865 yards on 48 grabs, averaged 18 a pop, and found the end zone 10 times. Against Georgia? The 17-year-old caught six balls for 139 yards and 2 tuddies, including a 75-yard catch, spin, slip into the end-zone dagger that made UGA fans consider early retirement. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit even hit him with the “Big Time Performance in a Big Game” crown in the Herbie Awards.
And Williams? Man, he ain’t satisfied. “People are gonna say it was solid, good. I think I could have done a lot better,” he told reporters, last month. That’s that Mamba Mentality—minus the cockiness. Most freshmen would be doing touchdown dances just for surviving the SEC. Not Ryan. He’s locked in like it’s personal.
So yeah, the hype is real. McElroy even threw a lil’ shade Jalen Milroe’s way, pointing out that Williams was cooking despite some shaky QB play. “Hopefully that quarterback will be a slightly more consistent intermediate and underneath passer than what we saw from Jalen Milroe,” McElroy added. That quarterback battle is still a three-way slugfest between Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell, and Austin Mack. But whoever wins that gig better be ready, because Ryan Williams is gonna be open—often. And if the new QB can actually hit him in stride? Man, we might see a Jeremiah Smith-type season… or better.
Bama gets tough break with Ryan Williams during spring ball
But just when Bama fans were starting to daydream about Heisman highlights and WR1 glory, Coach Kalen DeBoer stepped in with the record scratch. “We didn’t have Ryan scrimmage today,” he told TDA. “Just taking care of him.” Translation: Ryan Williams is on chill mode this spring. Not benched. Not injured (not seriously, anyway). Just bubble-wrapped. A few nicks and tweaks, nothing wild, but enough for Bama to hit pause on spring reps.
“He might not do much the rest of the spring,” DeBoer added. “If we asked him, he’d be out there and scrimmage, and he’s dressed up and ready to go. But just being really careful with some things he’s going through here the last week or so.” So nah, this ain’t panic mode—but it does sting a bit. Especially for them QBs. This spring was supposed to be the moment they built that connection with their No. 1 wideout. Ty, Keelon, Austin—all three need reps with the guy who’s gonna get 10+ targets a game come fall. And now? They’re tossing to backups, trying to impress the staff while the WR1 is in spectator mode.
It’s like buying a brand-new Xbox but your TV’s in the shop. You can still play, sure… but it ain’t hitting the same. Still, DeBoer ain’t worried. The man knows what he’s got. Williams ain’t some rookie project—he’s a polished gem. “We know what we have there,” DeBoer said, which might be the most comforting thing Bama fans could hear right now. So yeah, Ryan’s temporarily parked. But once summer hits and the pads come back on? It’s green lights and go routes.
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