WATCH: Alabama WR commits shine in track and field competition
It’s track season for high schoolers across the country. Not surprisingly, blue-chip football prospects are participating in track ahead of spring ball, including Alabama wide receiver commitments Perry Thompson and Ryan Williams.
This past weekend, Thompson (Class of 2024) and Williams (Class of 2025) competed at a meet at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile (Ala.).
As seen in the video in the tweet below, Williams showed off his blazing speed on Saturday. Williams ran a 10.68-second time in the 100 meters and 34.80 seconds in the 200 meters. Both times were good enough for No. 1 in their respective races.
This was a big improvement for Williams as he clocked in at 10.90 seconds in the 100 meters the weekend prior.
As for Thompson, the product of Foley (Ala.) High recorded an impressive time on Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder had the second-best 100-meter time as he finished at 11.17 seconds. That’s a solid time as Thompson is over three inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Williams.
Alabama’s fan base and the coaching staff alike will be happy to add Thompson and Williams to the fold over the next couple of years.
Their fast times on the track carry to the football field, as evidenced by their production last fall. As a junior, Thompson recorded 87 receptions (breaking Julio Jones‘ single-season school record) for 1,059 yards and 11 touchdowns. Williams had 88 receptions for 1,641 yards and 57 rushes for 700 yards, totaling 42 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Thompson is the No. 8 wideout (No. 42 overall) in the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings, while Williams is the No. 3 receiver (No. 15 overall) in the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings.
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Click HERE to watch Thompson’s junior season highlights!
Click HERE to watch Williams’ junior season highlights!
On3 Rankings Expert talks Alabama commits Perry Thompson and Ryan Williams
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power thinks highly of Bama’s wide receiver commitments. Power actually saw Williams at last month’s Under Armour camp in Atlanta, tabbing him as the On3 MVP of the event.
Power told us the following about the speedy Williams following his camp performance.
“The combination of the top-end speed and how he can really harness that speed with his change of direction makes him extremely difficult to cover,” Power said of Williams. “He can also do that with the ball in his hands, whether it’s on end-arounds, quick game, and jet sweeps. He can do all that as well. He’s just dangerous in so many aspects. That’s due to the fact that he can control and toggle his speed.”
As for Thompson, Alabama’s longest tenured commitment went from unranked to No. 58 overall in October’s On300 update. Power wrote the following about Thompson’s big bump below.
“Alabama wide receiver commit Perry Thompson (No. 58) is one of the bigger, more physically-gifted pass catchers. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has plus length with arms that measure over 33-inches and straight line speed (11.1 second 100 meter time). The Foley (Ala.) High standout is a tough two-way player at the high school level but projects as a big, physical wide receiver with the athleticism to pick up yards after the catch.”
Alabama fans, also be sure to join the discussion about Perry Thompson and Ryan Williams on the Talk of Champions message board. There’s always a lot of great team, recruiting, and off-topic conversations going on. So, we look forward to talking with you all there!
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