Ryan Williams brought his own flair to Alabama football last season, turning painted nails into a weekly headline. Purple, yellow, green, he even inked an NIL deal with Sally Hansen to keep the trend alive. But at media day, the sophomore’s nails were bare. Williams hinted at why his focus has shifted, and gave Bama fans a good reason to be excited for the upcoming season.
“It’s just been fall camp,” said Williams. “Even this summer, I don’t think I really have.” No polish. No distractions. Just football. And why not? The freshman phenom already racked up First-Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC honors in 2024, leading the Tide with 865 yards and eight TDs. Now, with a milestone nomination on the horizon, Ryan Williams is locked in and ready to raise the bar even higher.
On August 4th, Alabama writer Hunter De Siver broke the news every Tide fan wanted to hear. Ryan Williams is officially on the 2025 Walter Camp Award watch list. Well, the Walter Camp Foundation named 45 of the nation’s best players, and Alabama’s sophomore star made the cut. The list trims to 10 semifinalists in early November, then 3 finalists in December. And the ultimate winner will be crowned on ESPN’s CFB Awards Show on Dec. 12. But could Williams add CFB’s top individual honor to his growing list of accolades?
Alabama’s representation on award watch lists:
Mannelly Award (Top long snapper): David Bird
Walter Camp Award (Nation’s top overall player): Ryan Williams
Paul Hornung Award (Most versatile player): Ryan Williams
Wuerffel Trophy (Premier award for community service): LT… https://t.co/aSyQ8hmN8L
— Hunter De Siver (@HunterDeSiver) August 5, 2025
Look, Alabama’s last Walter Camp winner came in 2020, when DeVonta Smith capped off his historic season by adding the award to his trophy haul. Before him, Derrick Henry in 2015 and Tua Tagovailoa in 2018 brought the honor home to Tuscaloosa. Now, Ryan Williams has his shot. The electric sophomore found the end zone eight times through the air last season, the second-most in the SEC and among all freshman wideouts in Division I. On top of that, he added 48 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, plus 120 punt return yards to his all-purpose tally. Now, with numbers like that, Williams has got a real chance to make it count in 2025. But that’s not all.
The sophomore star has landed on the Paul Hornung Award watch list for the nation’s most versatile player and the Maxwell Award watch list for Player of the Year. Simply put, two of CFB’s biggest honors, and one dynamic playmaker in the hunt for both. So, this season, Williams is looking to light up the entire sport. But who are the other players selected to the award watch list this season?
Aside from Ryan Williams, the stars in the making
Here’s the thing: Bama’s roster is loaded with talent, and award committees are taking notice heading into 2025. Dave Bird earned a spot on the Mannelly Award watch list as one of the nation’s top long snappers. He is looking to follow in the footsteps of 2020 winner Thomas Fletcher. Then LT Overton is up for the Wuerffel Trophy, honoring his impact off the field. A legacy last seen in Tuscaloosa when Barrett Jones won it in 2011. On top of that, LBs Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson headline the Butkus Award watch list, aiming to join Reuben Foster as Tide greats to claim the honor. However, the trenches are well-represented too.
Kadyn Proctor, Parker Brailsford, and Jaeden Roberts are all in the hunt for the Outland Trophy, an award last won by Alex Leatherwood in 2020. Then, Overton, Tim Keenan III, and Lawson also made the Nagurski Trophy watch list for the nation’s top defensive player, an award Will Anderson famously won back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. Now, with this kind of talent, Alabama has stars ready to break out and shine bright in 2025. Even Alabama’s HC is getting his share of preseason buzz.
Kalen DeBoer has landed on the Dodd Trophy watch list. An honor reserved for the Division I coach who leads with excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The last Tide coach to claim it was Nick Saban back in 2014. Now, DeBoer steps into the spotlight with a chance to add his name to Alabama’s rich coaching legacy in 2025.
The post Ryan Williams Among 9 Alabama Players on Major Award Watch Lists appeared first on EssentiallySports.
