Kalen DeBoer Says Alabama Practicing with Rugby Balls Not a New Drill

The Crimson Tide's receivers were practicing with rugby balls on Tuesday.

Oct 4, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) catches a touchdown pass in front Vanderbilt defensive back Jordan Matthews (6) at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

In practice footage released by Alabama Athletics on Tuesday ahead of the No. 8 Crimson Tide's game at Missouri this weekend, one thing that stood out was the fact that rugby balls were being thrown to the wide receivers.

Ryan Williams, Rico Scott, Lotzeir Brooks and Isaiah Horton could be seen catching the rugby balls in Tuesday's practice. Those four players combined for 205 of Alabama's 340 receiving yards in the 30-14 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer said the practice drill is not new, and in fact predates his tenure at Alabama. Catching a rugby ball can be similar to catching a football.

"It's just something we've done throughout the years, just changing [it] up," DeBoer said on Wednesday's SEC coaches' teleconference. "You catch all sizes and different types of balls, from tennis balls, to, obviously, football's really what matters."

A rugby ball is larger than an American football, though there is obvious contrast between both of those objects and a tennis ball. DeBoer sees integrating the rugby balls into practices as a focus tool of sorts.

"That can help you with certain things. Just a focus to a ball that may be heavier, and just hand strength and all that kind of stuff. There's different reasons. It isn't something new that we just pulled out here this week, or the last couple weeks... Just part of kind of our normal in-season, but especially offseason, ball-drill work."

Sophomore wideout Ryan Williams, who has had some struggles with drops this season, has been putting in work partly with rugby balls in order to fix the issue. Williams led Alabama receivers with six catches (on seven targets) and 98 yards against the Commodores, recording a touchdown as well.

"[I'm] continuing to do the extra stuff. Catching rugby balls, tennis balls. Just focusing on the ball and not the next move," he said on Tuesday. "I have to catch the ball before I could do all of the extra stuff."

The six catches Williams had against Vanderbilt represented the highest number of receptions for him in a single game during his sophomore campaign. He didn't play in the team's 73-0 win over ULM on Sept. 6 because of a concussion from the season opener, but has 336 yards and three touchdowns through four games played. His best game was against Wisconsin (five catches, 165 yards and two scores).