Five-Star Plus+ WR Ryan Williams on Alabama official visit
Saraland (Ala.) Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Ryan Williams is a top priority for Alabama as Kalen DeBoer looks to usher in a new era of football in Tuscaloosa.
The 6-foot, 165-pounder decommitted from the Crimson Tide earlier this month, but is still considering the in-state SEC program ahead of his signing day decision on Feb. 9.
After taking a surprise visit earlier this week, Williams has arrived in Tuscaloosa for his official visit this weekend — and has already been greeted by an iconic Bama fan:
The Tide is battling Auburn, Texas, Texas A&M and LSU for the top unsigned 2024 prospect in the nation. Williams was recently in College Station visiting the Aggies and has official visits with the rest of his contenders lined up in the coming weeks.
“Everything is neck and neck. I need someone to excel and take the throne,” Williams told On3’s Chad Simmons on Jan. 14. “That’s really what I’m looking for. It’s an even playing field, so everybody is pretty much right there right now.”
Williams spoke with Simmons about the hiring of DeBoer and the relationship he’s beginning to build with the former Washington skipper. The Tide are by no means out of the running for the No. 12 overall prospect and No. 4 WR in the On3 Industry Ranking.
“I’m very interested in the new hire. Looking at his track record and what he’s done with offenses and how explosive they were,” Williams said. “That’s definitely something of interest to me, and I’d love to stay home. He told me that I was a priority for him with the way his offense is set up, and I would fit right in and make a lot of plays.”
“He knows what it takes, and he’s going to continue the culture and the Alabama standard. It’s not going to drop off one bit, and he just wanted me to understand that I could have a big role in that. I have open eyes and I want to hear them out. It’s just about building a relationship as fast as possible because I have a relationships with other coaches around t he country, so if that’s somewhere I’m considering, I need to have that. I love Alabama, I was committed there for a year for a reason. They definitely still have a shot.”
Following his decommitment, Williams is enjoying the final weeks of his recruitment. Auburn and the Lone Star State programs will continue to keep their foot on the gas, but DeBoer and Alabama have a chance to remind Williams why he was committed for so long this weekend.