Ryan Williams evaluates first half of freshman season, what it takes to be a great Alabama receiver

Ryan Williams has made his transition to college football look easy. Actually, the Alabama true freshman wide receiver has made pretty much everything he does on the football field look easy. He’s graceful running routes and balletic in space with the ball in his hands.

Through six games, he leads the Crimson Tide with 23 receptions, 576 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He’s also 16th nationally with 262 yards after the catch, according to Pro Football Focus.

“It’s definitely been very good,” Williams said Tuesday. “I’ve been enjoying the first half of the season so far, just with my guys and the staff giving me the opportunity to be able to showcase my skills, you know, for the better of the team.”

Williams added with a smile: “So, yeah, it’s been really good.”

By this point, Williams is a household name. It’s also a widely-known fact that the Mobile, Alabama, native is only 17 years old.

He scored an 84-yard, catch-and-run touchdown against Western Kentucky in the Crimson Tide’s opener and found the end zone each of the following two weeks against USF and Wisconsin.

But he really took the sport by storm Week 5 against Georgia.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Alabama wideout caught six passes for 177 yards, including a game-winning, 75-yard touchdown in a thrilling 41-34 victory.

Williams spoiled a comeback bid from the Bulldogs, who were once down 28-0 in Tuscaloosa, and made what could very well be college football’s play of the year, thanks to a beautiful snag, a nimble twirl and then a video-game-like spin that forced a pair of Bulldogs defenders to run into each other.

Leading up to a marquee matchup between No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Tennessee, Williams was asked this week about what it takes to be a successful Crimson Tide wide receiver.

“I am early on, but just the consistency that we go about each day, and focusing and honing in on the details,” Williams said. “Coach Deb (head coach Kalen DeBoer) does a great job of helping us focus in on the details like route depth, because it definitely makes a difference in game time.”

Ryan Williams was a unanimous five-star prospect and the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 5 overall prospect in the 2024 class. Now, just halfway through his true freshman campaign, he’s a college football star.