What a great start for the Crimson Tide! The world of college football had been running high on skepticism about Kalen DeBoer filling GOAT Nick Saban’s shoes. All thanks to Alabama’s 17-year-old freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams who crushed Wisconsin for handing DeBoer the pride crown.

The hype surrounding Williams has been so vivid that insiders won’t be surprised if he instantly makes the switch to the NFL. However, it is not going to be a walk in the park. Transitioning to the NFL would require him to vault over the rule hurdles. The Williams craze just got real, from CFB fans to New York Jets legend caught up in the fever! 

While expectations had been low for Williams since he is too young to be a high school senior, the freshman went all supernova. At such a tender age, Williams has been the Crimson Tide’s leading receiver. And his standout performance against Wisconsin on September 14 has been one of the many feats that CFB fans will remember for the longest time. His notable stats were highlighted by Clint Lamb, the Alabama insider who wrote, “Ryan Williams is on pace for 1,140 yards and 16 touchdowns in just 12 regular season games. The craziest part? He’s only on pace for 40 catches. His four touchdowns have come from 84, 55, 43 and 31 yards out.” Like most Alabama fans, the insider came up with the big wish, “I honestly think he could play in the NFL right now.”

But what makes Williams NFL-ready? Well, the freshman WR began with a smooth touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone wiping out the Wisconsin 3-0 lead. This was enough for any high school player to earn the trust. But things are not going to be so easy for the player to press the SWITCH button. 

Going by the rules, any players to be eligible for the draft will have to be out of high school for at least 3 years and before the start of the next college season will have to use their college eligibility. While Williams’s NFL journey is still a faraway dream, as of now he has got a gold star from an NFL legend. 

Ryan Williams gives NFL star a déjà vu moment

Back in 2021, when the RB Braelon Allen played for the New York Jets, a common phrase that was often used for the phenom was, “He’s only 17!” Again in 2024, the commentators got the chance to reiterate the line. Why wouldn’t they? After all, it was Williams who set the Camp Randall Stadium on fire. 

However, Allen waited for the Alabama vs. Wisconsin face-off to witness the talent of the two-time Mr. Football of Saraland High School. And no doubt that the legend has been left in awe by the way he maintained his streak after Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, South Florida Bulls, and finally against the Wisconsin Badgers. It was enough for him to reminisce about his early playing days in Madison. He then gave Williams a shoutout on X right after the September 14 game, “I see what y’all were saying about the 17 year old stuff now…”

For the fans who found it hard to get the context, the Jets star followed it up with another tweet, “Context: The bama freshman receiver is 17 years old. I was also 17 years old as a freshman and the broadcasters would mention my age repeatedly like they were doing for the bama kid. Y’all some weirdos.” With this, Ryan Williams isn’t in the NFL yet but his college football fan club is already running like a pro team.