Despite back-to-back victories, the Alabama Crimson Tide has yet to get all its naysayers on its side. Their Week 2 game against South Florida was closer than HC Kalen DeBoer would have liked. Of course, there are reasons for every bad performance. DeBoer can put it down to him missing his best tackles. Despite an unconvincing win, there are things that Tide fans can rejoice about. 17-year-old Ryan Williams is one of them.

Williams was outstanding in his first game; one of the youngest players in FBS football earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his phenomenal debut performance. However, bigger challenges await the young blood. Ohio State’s wide receiver Jeremiah Smith also displayed an impressive performance in his debut. Today all the eyes will be on the wide receiver, but before that, Jarrett Guerrear, a college football reporter for Gridiron Heroics, had a conversation with Ryan Harings, host of Locked on Badgers, where Jarrett drew a fascinating comparison between these two-star freshmen of this new season. He compared Williams with Jeremiah Smith and underscored the exceptional abilities of both players. But Jarrett can’t put Williams above Smith. Although Williams has impressed everyone with his first game and he is a fabulous emerging talent, he still believes Ohio State’s wide receiver is ahead of Williams in some areas.

Praising Williams, Harings said, “I understand he is 17. I get that he’s a freshman. But if you watch what kind of kid could do on the field, I mean it’s not reminiscent of any other freshman out there besides maybe Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. I mean, I would say they’re on an equal playing field, but what Williams could do is just ridiculous.” His comparison to five-star prodigy WD underscores the high regard for both players who play in the same position. Despite Williams’s some extraordinary performances, Smith is his first choice.

Harings glowingly talks about Smith’s performance, especially how is such an asset for the team with his ability to do multiple things. For instance, if you need him to beat the defense over the top; he’s there. “If he is able to get open in any sort of space, there’s a very good chance that he’s going to get the b–l and move it a good deal down the field.” He is a touch match-up for any player.  

Smith, who committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes for the 2024 season, is a number one overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite. He helped his team win by 52-6 over Akron Zips and recorded six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns. However, that shouldn’t take anything from Williams, who just impressed every Tide fan on his debut.

Ryan Williams shines in debut against Western Kentucky

Alabama’s victory over Western Kentucky will be a remarkable victory for Williams and his family. He made two catches, each of them resulting in long touchdowns. The wide receiver scored in the first quarter after the game went wrong for Ohio State’s defense, which missed covering him, which led to an 84-yard touchdown catch. William stood out at the end of the first half. He broke his two tackles and used his speed and agility on the field to score a 55-yard touchdown.

Alabama Football reported head coach DeBoer’s comment on Williams just after the match: “A lot of attention gets thrown his way, but he’s just gone about it really humble and matter-of-fact, stay the course, just go to work every day, attitude.” He added, “And our guys really appreciate that.” DeBoer’s statement highlights the player’s grounded attitude, which has not gone unnoticed by his teammates and his fans. He shared his SEC’s Freshman of the Week award with Tennessee quarterback Nico Lamaleava.