Jalen Milroe details how Ryan Williams can become an all-time great Alabama receiver
It didn’t take long for Ryan Williams to make an impact at Alabama. In fact, it only took him one pass from Jalen Milroe.
Williams’ first career catch was an 84-yard touchdown in the Crimson Tide’s season opener against Western Kentucky. He only had two receptions on the night, but they both went to the end zone. When all was said and done, he had two receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in his first career game.
Williams helped usher in a new era in Tuscaloosa. He was the first recruiting win for new coach Kalen DeBoer, arriving with plenty of hype as a game-changing receiver. But even at age 17, he wants to be one of the program’s all-time greats – and Milroe wants to help him get there.
“As his brother, as his teammate, I want that for him so much,” Milroe said on The Pivot. “But Ryan Williams is gonna determine that. And I’m going to push him each and every day so that he can achieve that because my ultimate goal is for Ryan Williams to be the best receiver he can be.
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“Whatever he sees himself pursuing and achieving, I want him to do that. I’m his brother. I’m behind him on everything.”
Jalen Milroe: Ryan Williams wants to channel Alabama legend
Early on, Williams made his plans clear to join the group of Alabama legends. Milroe pointed out one instance in the training room, where the young freshman mentioned the path he wanted to take to greatness by channeling a Heisman Trophy winner.
“One thing – I ain’t told him this, but I guess he’s gonna know now – I love what he did was, he went in the training room one day, and our head trainer’s name is Jeff Allen,” Milroe said. “He went in the training room one day, he said, ‘Hey, can you put me on the plan that DeVonta Smith was on?’
“I said, ‘Oh, he’s serious. He’s serious, serious.’ [At] 17, I ain’t thinking about that. That just showed his mindset and how he’s trying to approach.”
But Williams made an impression on his quarterback even before he stepped foot on campus as a student. While going through the recruiting process, he offered to catch passes for Milroe if he ever needed someone. That meant making the drive from Mobile, which further showed his dedication.
“He came up to me, ‘Hey, J-Mil, when are we gonna watch film?’ You’re gonna watch film? Aight, bet. Oh, you’re serious, serious,” Milroe said. “Then, while he was a recruit, he talked about when he gets there, whenever you want to run routes and catch, let me know. I’m there.
“This is a guy that lives in Mobile, which is not near Tuscaloosa. It’s a couple hours from Tuscaloosa. He was willing to leave there and come to Tuscaloosa.”
How Ryan Williams is ‘unique’ for his age
At 17 years old, Ryan Williams was originally a 2025 recruit. But he reclassified to the 2024 cycle and became a Five Star Plus+ recruit, meaning he was one of the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five star. The Saraland (Ala.) product was the No. 5 overall recruit, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
The physical traits were there. But Williams’ ability to learn quickly stood out to Jalen Milroe. His focus on getting better was apparent even though he didn’t arrive on campus until after spring practice.
“One thing I can say about Ryan that is very unique is that although his age is 17, he’s a guy that came in the summertime. He ain’t even a mid-year,” Milroe said. “In a sense, that sped up his development in a sense of coming and learning the system, getting used to college, coverage recognition. You’re not gonna just blow past people.
“You’re gonna have to have coverage recognition, you’re gonna have to know who you’re blocking and the run scheme and different things like that. [There’s] so much to college that is unique, that’s different from high school, that you have to be mentally prepared for.”
Just a couple months into his time on campus at Alabama, Williams is setting a high bar for the rest of his Crimson Tide career. But in a recruiting class filled with instant-impact receivers such as Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman, Milroe said one thing makes Williams stand out above the rest.
“To see his development in a short period, that’s what I truly believe is what separates him because there’s a lot of great receivers in this country,” Milroe said. “A lot of great receivers somewhere else. But it’s how he flipped the page from being a high school [17-year-old] to, in a sense, a college 17-year-old – which is much different.
“I see the growth in him. I see the determination, I see how detail-oriented he is. … It’s so much, things that people don’t know about the guy that makes him special. I’m just excited for him and his future because he’s just so passionate and loves the game.”