Can Alabama’s New Wide Receiver Coach Derrick Nix Help Ryan Williams get Back in his Groove?

MOBILE, Ala. - Two seasons ago, Ryan Williams was a budding superstar for the Crimson Tide who looked like he could not be stopped through his first four games of college football, culminating in an athletic feat that still captivates the attention of college football fans when he made an acrobatic catch before spinning past two Georgia defenders for a 75-yard game-winning touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024.

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Through his first four games of college football, Ryan Williams had 16 receptions for 462 yards and five touchdowns. Since then, Williams has not lived up to the hype, with his next nine games of the 2024 season resulting in 32 receptions for 403 yards and three touchdowns. Williams then hit a sophomore slump in 2025, finishing the season with 49 receptions for 689 yards and four scores, with just one 100-yard performance on the season.

Alabama hired former Auburn offensive coordinator Derrick Nix as the Tide's wide receivers coach, replacing JaMarcus Shephard after Shephard was named the head coach at Oregon State.

"So far of what I’ve seen is what I was hoping for," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said on Wednesday at the Senior Bowl, "and it’s just a guy who’s been around the league, a guy who has the experience. I love the way that he just was really down to earth and relates to our guys. I think they appreciate that already from him.

"Very diverse from a coaching standpoint. He’s coached different skill positions, different groups. But I love how he’s been at, for the most part, places for longer periods of time. Just some stability, there is something that I think I appreciate. And I didn’t have really a choice here at the last stop. But I’m looking forward to working through the offense with him. I’m a receiver guy and looking forward to some time with him and developing the guys that we have. I think we’ve got a great group that he’s excited about coaching up."

Williams is now the most experienced wide receiver in the Alabama wide receiver room, with over 1200 career snaps. The Saraland, Alabama, native faces immense pressure going into the 2026 season as the likely top option in what could be his final season of college football. The Crimson Tide's new wide receivers coach will be tasked with unlocking the full potential of Williams, which we haven't seen since the spinning touchdown against the Bulldogs in 2024.

"I think all of us, that’s our job as coaches, is to, you know, in the development process - I mean, there’s a piece where it’s skill development," DeBoer said. "It’s just the piece with the psychological part, you know, all that for every player. And so I would expect that from our coaches. And certainly as pertains to Ryan, I think he’s going to have a big year ahead. I'm excited to begin to get to work with him here in the offseason, correct the things that we feel are correctable, and him continue to grow. He’ll have a big year."

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.