Alabama Not Concerned by Ryan Coleman-Williams’ Early Drop

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Early in Saturday's 48-10 victory over East Carolina, junior wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams dropped a wide-open pass from quarterback Keelon Russell. Coleman-Williams responded well, finishing the game with his fourth-career 100-yard performance, catching five passes for 130 yards.

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Coleman-Williams' five catches featured a handful of contested receptions as well, with head coach Kalen DeBoer highlighting the positives rather than critiquing the one negative he had early in the contest.

"I thought he went out there and made some contested catches, too. We’re gonna keep feeding him. He’s a relentless worker, and he’s gonna keep getting the ball. I thought he had some catching contacts and caught some balls in traffic, and just getting out there - he’s a captain for us. We’re not gonna shy away from going to Ryan, I know that.”

New Alabama starting quarterback Keelon Russell isn't worried about his top receiving option working through consistency concerns.

"Ryan is a phenomenal player. Not just a player, he’s an athlete on and off the field. Stuff don’t bother him like that. He’d come to me, he was like, ‘I’m gonna get you right. I’m gonna get us better.’ And at the end of the season, you’re gonna be looking at the best duo in the country," Russell told reporters after the game.

"And that guy has a mindset of steel. Nothing gets in his head. A drop is not gonna get in his head, and we’re just gonna keep pushing. We gotta have a 1-0 mindset, like I said. And we connected on a lot more routes, a lot more plays that got us in the field goal range or got us a touchdown. So, we just keep all the negativity or the bad things behind us and keep playing football.”

Alabama improves to 1-0 on the season following Saturday's victory. The Crimson Tide's next game will be Saturday, September 12, when Alabama travels to Lexington, Kentucky, for the SEC opener against the Kentucky Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

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_.