How Ryan Coleman-Williams is Planning to Climb Back to Top of College Football

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ryan Williams is no longer 17-years-old. He's doesn't even go by Ryan Williams anymore.

Ryan Coleman-Williams has a new mindset as he enters his junior campaign. After a sensational freshman year that made him a national sensation and put him on the cover of a renowned video game franchise, he had a subpar sophomore season.

Coleman-Williams' numbers were down across the board, and he had several drops to go along with it. But 2026 is a new year. Like every player, he's grown in the offseason, and head coach Kalen DeBoer noticed following the Crimson Tide's A-Day spring scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

"Ryan's consistency was something all spring long that I know he should be feeling good about," DeBoer said. "But Ryan's expectations are just like all of ours, that we expect elite performance. He's going to just continue to grind. He's a leader for us and our football team, and he can be because he works as hard as anyone that's out there. And so it's paying off. It's showing up.

"There's been a consistency. And I know people are always going to ask about catching the ball, and that's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the consistency there. Not making just the easy ones, also making the hard ones, as we've seen him get accustomed to and make."

The 19-year-old said on March 12 that, "Just because we have such a young team, I'm considered an old head." Coleman-Williams is taking on a leadership role this season. He discussed the process of being a leader two years after being the youngest player on the Crimson Tide.

"I mean, you don't wake up one day and become a leader," Coleman-Williams said. "It's been something that I've been working on since my freshman year at times. During my freshman year, I had to step up and be a leader and lead by example.

"Throughout my sophomore year, some things may have not been going my way, but just stepping up and just showing the team I'm here for what's best for the team.

"So really just overall, there's a bunch of different ways that leadership shows, and this year I guess you could say it's seen by the rest of my peers."

As previously stated, DeBoer brought up Williams' consistency numerous times. Williams shared the secret to it, and it's a lot simpler than one would think.

"I got here by having fun and playing football, so just continuing to do that," Williams said. "The game is a child's game, so just continue to have fun and continue to keep it a child's game. Me and the wideouts just play catch sometimes to keep it a childish games. Just playing ball. Just playing NCAA (EA Sports College Football 26 video game) to just continue it.

"Honestly, just with the support of the Alabama Crimson Tide, my family, my faith in Jesus, all the factors that I focused in on — removing the distractions, putting up the blinders. Just focusing in on what's most important to me, it hasn't been too hard."

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