Who’s Ryan Williams? Meet Alabama’s 17-Year-Old Freshman

At 17 years old, Ryan Williams is the youngest player in Alabama football. The 6’0, 175-pounder is a star athlete from Saraland High School who reclassified from the 2025 class to 2024 to give Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide a chance. And his ultimate decision would later give both him and his team great satisfaction. 

Being an Alabama native, Ryan Williams’ first college football goal was Nick Saban’s prestigious CFB program when he pledged his commitment in October 2022. But like several players, the announcement of Saban’s retirement made him fumble a bit, and he de-committed. But after going back and forth between Alabama and Texas A&M, he recommitted to Kalen DeBoer on January 24. 

Ryan Williams joined Kalen DeBoer and Alabama as the top-rated commit of the 2024 class. He is a unanimous 5-star prospect and the No. 1 receiver in the nation by ESPN. His HS records speak for themselves. In his three HS years, he led his team to a state championship in 2022. He also participated in the 2024 Under Armour All-America Game, scoring a touchdown reception. 

Both Saraland and Alabama recognize the potential of Ryan Williams. He was named Mr. Football two times, in 2022 in Saraland when he was a sophomore and this year in Alabama as the winner of the Mr. Football award by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Williams may have fallen short of winning his team a state title in 2023 when they fell 31-28 to Clay-Chalkville, but the star receiver still finished with 1,324 yards and 26 total TDs. Now that he’s playing at Bryant-Denny Stadium, he’s bringing his receivers’ power to the game.

Ryan Williams displays his freshman power

Ryan Williams is already displaying his stats on the field in his debut college football game opener against WKU. Although a backup to Kendrick Law, it didn’t take long for him to leave the bench and get into action. Williams got a chance to showcase his skills and scored his first CFB 84-yard touchdown with Jalen Milroe in the first quarter, giving Alabama a 21-0 lead over WKU. 

In the second quarter, the freshman WR scored his second touchdown by receiving a 55-yard pass from Jalen Milroe, raising Alabama’s point to 42-0. In the first half, his stats include two receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. With half still remaining, this talented young man got more time to prove himself. With the way he’s playing tonight, perhaps he made the right choice in giving Alabama who’s undergoing a roster transition period a chance.