Reclassifying 5-star WR Ryan Williams in 2024 rankings

Alabama wide receiver commit Ryan Williams made news on Monday morning, announcing his intention to reclassify from the 2025 to 2024 cycle. As a result, Williams, who ranked as a Five-Star Plus+ prospect in the 2025 cycle, must be slotted into the 2024 rankings. The Saraland (Ala.) High standout now checks in at No. 8 overall in the 2024 On300. He becomes Alabama’s second-highest rated 2024 commitment in the On300, just one spot behind Five-Star Plus+ quarterback, Julian Sayin. Williams also checks in at No. 11 overall in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking after being reclassified in other rankings across the industry.

Williams adds another five-star prospect to what is the best and deepest group of elite receiver prospects we’ve seen in years. Let’s take a look at what makes the 6-foot, 165-pounder such a coveted prospect.

Ryan Williams is a top athlete

Ryan Williams first came onto On3’s radar as a freshman – prior to few if any Power 5 offers – by way of his track prowess. He’s one of the best track athletes in the state of Alabama and has been for several years.

Williams posted some very strong marks a then-sophomore this past spring. He put up a scintillating 10.49 second personal best in the 100 meters 21.28 seconds in the 200 meters, a 48.19 second 400 meter mark and a 6-8 high jump. His athleticism is not confined to just one event – he’s outstanding in them all.

We also saw Williams run one of the fastest 40-yard dashes on the camp circuit, as he posted an electronically-timed 4.41 second mark at Under Armour’s Atlanta regional, back in February.

By any metric, Williams registers as one of the the best athletes in high school football, regardless of class.

Williams transfers his athleticism to the field

Most importantly, Ryan Williams transfers his elite athleticism over to the field on Friday nights. Williams is able to effectively harness his speed in a very functional way. He easily changes gears, within the route and after the catch.

Williams is a vapor trail as a deep threat. He lulls defensive backs to sleep with his long, smooth gait before hitting fifth gear. We also see Williams effectively track and locate the ball on deep routes. Simply put, he’s a big-time mismatch on vertical routes against man coverage.

The versatile skill set as a playmaker is what makes Williams unique among similarly athletic pass-catchers. As a high volume target for Saraland, there isn’t much left to the imagination. We see him make plays in every phase.

Williams doubles as one of the best after-the-catch wideouts in the nation. He’s a threat to take any touch to the house and looks to score at every opportunity. He shows outstanding vision in the open field along with high-end wiggle and change of direction. He plays with a level of toughness that belies his thin frame. There are flashes of contact balance and the ability to bounce off of tackles that should only improve as he gets bigger and stronger. The ball skills are very good and he shows the ability to effectively work over the middle of the field. He’s also dangerous as a ball carrier, showing the ability to take speed sweeps and even direct handoffs to the house. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that despite limited opportunities, Williams has also proven to be a deadly kick and punt returner.

We saw the full skill set on display in his final high school game, a dominant showing in the Class 6A state title game last Friday. Williams caught 11 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for a touchdown and returned a kickoff for a score.

Elite production on Friday nights

Despite forgoing his senior season, Ryan Williams will go down as one of the best high school football players from the state of Alabama in recent memory. His production while working in a high usage role for a team that went 28-2 over his final two seasons is hard to ignore.

Williams finished the 2023 season with 72 catches for 1,324 yards and 19 touchdowns, at 18.4 yards per catch. He also rushed 30 times for seven scores and scored on two returns. He put up even crazier production in 2022 en route to winning Mr. Football in Alabama. Williams caught 88 passes for 1,641 yards and 24 touchdowns, ran for 700 yards and 15 touchdowns on 57 rushes (12.3 yards per carry), returned two punts for touchdowns and passed for a score as a then-sophomore.

High school production tends to be a strong indicator of future success among blue-chip wide receivers. Williams emphatically checks that box.

Moving forward

Ryan Williams‘ sterling athletic profile and on-field resume stacks up with the very best at the position. His production this season is very similar to the top receivers in the 2024 cycle.

As noted above, the 2024 wide receiver group is the best I’ve seen from the position in my years in the industry – and that’s before Williams’ reclassification. Jeremiah Smith, Cam Coleman, Ryan Williams and Micah Hudson are good enough to be the top prospect in many, if not most cycles. All have clear strengths and are very well-rounded players and prospects.

With the high school football season coming to an end, we’ll continue to evaluate the group on film. We’re also slated to see all of them at national all-star games against blue-chip defensive backs in early January. An absolutely loaded receivier group looks that much stronger now that Ryan Williams has officially thrown his hat in the ring.