Alabama Wide Receiver Ryan Williams Identifies Which Receivers he Models His Game After

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama sophomore wide receiver Ryan Williams has made spectacular catches and memorable moments already in his Alabama career. His 75-yard touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs last season put him on the map for the college football world, and his two-touchdown performance against Wisconsin in week three reestablished Williams as a top receiving threat this season.

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The now 18-year-old receiver learned his skill sets from somewhere, and on Tuesday, he revealed which superstar NFL receivers he models his game after, including a former Heisman Trophy-winning receiver from Alabama.

"I try to take a lot of things from a lot of different guys," Williams said. "I feel like some Smitty, of course. I love getting that comparison. JJettas (Justin Jefferson), just with his route-running ability. I like to be physical like A.J. Brown when I can at the point of catch.

"I'm just trying to take little things from them because there are so many guys in the league that do it at a high level. Whenever I'm trying to insert blocks, my mindset is Amon-Ra [St. Brown]. It might not look like it a couple of times, but I try. I try, for sure. Just trying to leave that effort out there on the field."

Williams draws a lot of comparisons to DeVonta Smith (Smitty), given their size comparisons. Both receivers stand at six feet tall, with Smith weighing 170 pounds and Williams weighing 178 pounds. Williams had a more successful freshman season, catching 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, while Smith caught eight passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Williams started for Alabama as a freshman in 2024, while Smith sat behind stars like Calvin Ridley during his freshman season, but made his impact in the CFP National Championship game, catching one pass for 41 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

Comparison has been the theme of the last two weeks, with Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson telling reporters last week that he compares his game to several NFL greats, including Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burow and Jefferson played together at LSU in 2019, defeating Alabama 46-41 in Tuscaloosa. Since then, Alabama has only lost one other game at home (Texas 2023).

So far this season, the explosivity for Williams may have dialed back a bit, but he's been more consistent as the Tide's second-leading receiving option behind Germie Bernard. Williams has caught 36 passes for 528 yards and four touchdowns so far this season, and has notched 30 receiving yards or more in all but one game he has played this season. He has eclipsed 50 receiving yards in four of his eight games played this season.

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_.