What happened to Ryan Williams? Alabama WR looks for rebound in Rose Bowl

• Ryan Williams burst onto the scene in his freshman season at Alabama, and landed on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26.
• Ryan Williams had had a tough sophomore season, not being a major factor as he’s dealt with injuries and drops passes.
• Despite the up-and-down season, Ryan Williams remains confident and his team plans to get him in the ball in the Rose Bowl against Indiana.

LOS ANGELES — What happened to Ryan Williams?

Last season, the Alabama receiver burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old freshman, running wild over Georgia en route to becoming one the sport’s most electric freshmen. His performances landed on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26.

Since then, it’s felt like the “Madden curse” has migrated into the college game.

After a promising start, a sophomore slump has hit the young star. Even though it hasn’t gone the way many envisioned, Williams isn’t losing confidence, and he remains determined to impact the game as Alabama faces Indiana in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.

“That’s pretty much all seasons of life,” Williams told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s not always gonna go your way, and it’s not always gonna be bad for as long as you think it’s gonna be bad. It’s just an opportunity for growth.”

Why has Ryan Williams struggled?

Williams was the bright spot in Kalen DeBoer’s somewhat disappointing first season in Tuscaloosa. He capturing the nation’s attention with his 177 yard day and game-winning score against Georgia. He finished the season with 48 catches and team-high 865 yards with eight touchdowns.

Williams was set to be a leader for a Crimson Tide team trying to get back in the title picture. If you had told someone before the season Alabama would be in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, there’s a good chance they’d believe Williams had a big hand in it.

Instead, it’s been the opposite. 

Williams has seen his totals dip, heading into the Rose Bowl with 43 catches, 636 yards and four touchdowns. Those are some solid figures, but not anything near what was expected. 

To start, injuries have played a part. He dealt with a concussion early in the season and has had lower body injuries in recent weeks. It’s come during a bad stretch where he’s had just three catches for 38 yards in the last three games, including a shut out against Auburn.

Obviously, being the cover athlete of the sport helps bring more attention, and there has been the focus of opponents not letting Williams impact games.

What has made it worse are the misses; Williams has 13 drops, the most in the country. Those miscues limit signature explosive plays form happening. It’s resulted critics saying he doesn’t deserve to be one of the top 10 rated receivers in the game he’s on the cover on.

“You always want better for yourself. I always want to impact the game as much as possible,” he said. “I would like to make those plays and help out the squad even more, but I know the opportunity will come.”

It hasn’t been a dominant showing, but his coaches and teammates praise Williams’ never wavering mindset. Quarterback Ty Simpson and receiver Isaiah Horton call him one of the most selfless people they’ve met. DeBoer added “you can’t help but root for” a person like Williams.

If he’s not stuffing the stat sheet, Williams said there are other ways he can make an impact, like running routes that draw attention so other guys get open and have opportunities.

“I don’t think you could honestly, really remove me from a game, because there’s other ways that I can affect the game,” he said.

That’s why Simpson doesn’t buy into any of the slump talk.

“It frustrates me when people say he’s had a down year. He really hadn’t,” Simpson said. “All he cares about is the other guys around him. If we win, it doesn’t matter if he gets zero catches for zero yards, or if he gets 10 catches for 250 yards. Whatever it takes for the team to win, and that’s why I love being his teammate.”

Opportunity at Rose Bowl

While Alabama has been able to win games without Williams making a heavy impact, the Crimson Tide will certainly need him against Indiana. 

The Hoosiers will be the best passing defense Alabama will face this season. They allow 179.5 passing yards per game. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith – also on the cover of the video game with Williams – is the only player to record at least 100 receiving yards against Indiana this season.

DeBoer said Alabama is “going to be intentional” with its gameplan to make sure Williams gets the touches he needs to leave his mark on the game. Simpson echoed the sentiment, adding he has to make sure “I understand my read and the intent of the play, and then get (Williams) the ball.” If that happens, Horton said that’s when the explosive plays will go down.

It sounds like the Crimson Tide are making it a point to make sure Williams isn’t silenced in the Rose Bowl. It coincidentally is where that cover photoshoot took place, and he’ll return to the stadium – this time filled with a semifinal spot on the line – with a chance to prove why he belonged on it.

A golden opportunity, yet Williams isn’t chasing a huge day. His mindset going into it?

“Just do what I do because at the end of the day, it’s a child’s game,” Williams said. “Just help my team in any way that I can.”

DeBoer knows an amazing future is ahead for Williams and he’ll be playing football for a long time. It hasn’t been the perfect year, but it’s only a matter of time before Williams breaks out. Alabama just hopes it comes on Jan. 1, 2026, because the rest of the season could depend on it.

“He’s going to have a game like he’s had at different times, where he goes off and I’m just waiting for that moment. Because when it is, it’s going to be awesome, and we’re all going to be super happy for him,” DeBoer. “I know that it’s coming sooner than later.”