Mobile, Ala. - In case you lived under a rock for the 2024 college football season, Ryan Williams is a 17-year-old freshman superstar who led the Alabama Crimson Tide in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns one season after reclassifying from the 2025 recruiting class to 2024. Williams had 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, adding four carries for 48 yards and touchdowns on the ground. Williams was the one who made the alien-like maneuver to secure the game-winning touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs on September 28.

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Williams will now enter year No. 2 at Alabama and fully participate in the offseason strength and development for the first time in his college career. With Williams already having a stellar performance as a young true freshman, how does Kalen DeBoer grade the superstar, and where does he want to see him grow?

"A year ago at this time, we were pretty excited about the commitment that he had made to come play football at Alabama," DeBoer said on Tuesday. "You got into the summer and this is like 'Wow, it's fun working with him.' Then we saw what he could do in the season. I know he has much higher goals than what he accomplished this season - and that's individually and as a team. I'm really excited about him taking the next steps as a leader now. He's gonna take care of his business and do what he needs to do, and we're gonna be there to help him refine the things that are going to make him the best of the best."

"He's a team player through and through," DeBoer added. "He and [Germie Bernard] kind of coming back as the leaders of that receiving core, I'm excited what they bring as a mindset. When your best players are your best people and highest character guys, it's exciting what can become. We have that at the receiving core, and we've added some guys, too, with the early enrollees. I really like the way that group is gonna come along under their guidance and leadership."

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_.

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