’Man, He’s Strong’: The Conversation That Paved Ryan Coleman-Williams’ Offseason

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The five-hour flight back from the Rose Bowl wasn’t fun for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide had just lost to Indiana 38-3, UA’s worst losing margin in over 100 years of postseason history. Everything went wrong with 24 million people watching.

But one player was already thinking about 2026 — and what he could do to improve with strength coach Dave Ballou.

“We might've been talking on the plane ride back, right after the season,” Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams told BamaCentral. “Just because we didn't finish the way we wanted to and we have another opportunity this year. Any way that I could be what's best for the team from that point forward, I wanted to be it. I just wanted to seek that advice from him.”

Shortly after the plane touched down in Tuscaloosa, Coleman-Williams sat down with Ballou, head coach Kalen DeBoer and numerous other staff members. On the plane, he realized that gaining weight would be among his top priorities to improve his craft, and Ballou reinforced that during the on-ground meeting.

“He said, 'OK, these are things we'll need to do — you're going to have to eat a little more, you're going to have to eat more than what you put in,’” Coleman-Williams said. “It's the obvious math equation, but it seems obvious until you have to do it every single day and be consistent with it.

“...It was really just focusing on how I can be what's best for the team this year. Body weight is the best indicator to show that the player cares, so just maintaining that. Leading, as a vocal leader for this team, just continuing to show my best brand of work every single day to make it contagious for the rest of the guys. Really just being my best every single day.”

Coleman-Williams understood from the moment the clock hit zero at the Rose Bowl that he’d become the face of Alabama football for the 2026 season. The once-17-year-old freshman sensation now had expectations to lead the Crimson Tide not even a full two years later.

The wide receivers room looks much different from 2025, as Coleman-Williams is the longest-tenured starter at the position. Germie Bernard, who led Alabama in receptions and yards, exhausted his eligibility and was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Isaiah Horton, who had the Tide’s most touchdowns, was one of five receivers to transfer out.

Coleman-Williams shared in March how he’s embraced his role as a leader. While leadership mostly revolves around hyping up and encouraging those around you, it stems from the leader first uplifting himself. That helped Coleman-Williams boost his weight, and it started with a strict diet.

“Eating a lot of protein, a lot of carbs,” Coleman-Williams said. “I love steak and eggs. That's probably my favorite meal out of everything I ate. Just getting those protein shakes after workouts and focusing on being consistent with that.”

Steak and eggs were the most common foods, as Coleman-Williams said he’d sometimes have them three times per day. Alexis, his wife, whom he married during the offseason, does “a great job” of making the steak and eggs for him. Coleman-Williams likes his steak medium and his eggs over-medium.

Most players went back home or elsewhere in the early parts of the summer to train, but Coleman-Williams stayed in Tuscaloosa. Staying in the same environment made it easier for him to be consistent with his workouts, as he was doing “the same thing over and over.”

"He's having an unbelievable camp," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on Aug. 17. "Lucky to coach the kid. He is just an absolute wonder...His growth as a person, player, his preparation has been second to nobody on this football team. He comes in here like during the summer, there was no time off. Guys go home for May. He's right here catching balls on the jugs, all the stuff. So just couldn't be more proud of that guy.”

Coleman-Williams’ dedication went far beyond altering his diet, as he never left the Crimson Tide’s weight room. According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Coleman-Williams improved his squat to 465 pounds and his power clean to 295 pounds. Ballou and Coleman-Williams truly went to work, as the receiver gained 11 pounds of muscle mass during the spring and another four in the summer.

So, how will the muscle growth help Coleman-Williams this season?

“Really, obviously just thinking about some of the hits that I've taken throughout my college career,” Coleman-Williams said. “It'll obviously help with that. Just health-wise, I'll be able to play more games and be a little more powerful when I go out there throughout the season.”

This is a big year for Coleman-Williams. His sophomore campaign was a step backwards from Year 1. His numbers were down across the board, partly due to injuries. He suffered a concussion in Week 1 against Florida State and also hurt his leg midseason. But the main reason for his sophomore slump, the one the entire college football world has ridiculed him for, was due to several drops.

Throughout the 2025 season, Coleman-Williams was asked about the drops and said that he’d been catching rugby balls, tennis balls and living on the jugs machine. But it never truly did the trick.

Coleman-Williams, who will not be wearing gloves this season, stressed that the drops were a mental issue and not a physical one. But after eight months of transforming his body, he’s a different player — both physically and mentally.

"Ryan's consistency was something all spring long that I know he should be feeling good about," DeBoer said after A-Day. "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, but also making the hard ones, as we've seen him get accustomed to and make.”

The drops are no longer the focus for Coleman-Williams, and while he’s gained a ton of muscle, his speed has only gone up as well. Coleman-Williams hit 23.2 miles per hour this offseason, which ties fellow wide receiver Rico Scott for the fastest mark on the team. He also logged a 44-inch vertical and an 11-foot-2 broad jump.

It has all shown up on the practice field, too.

“Man, he’s strong,” Grubb said on Aug. 25. “He is. I think it’s, like his sustainability, even today in practice we did a ton of service reps and things like that, and Ryan’s hopping in anytime, ones, twos. It’s hard for him to wear down right now. So I certainly see a bigger, stronger kid that just powers through practice. He’s really amazing. The competitive stamina he has is probably one of the highest on the football team.

“I'm just extremely thankful that here at the University of Alabama we have people that will commit to you,” Coleman-Williams said. “It's been easier than I thought it would be, but it was definitely a challenge.”

It all started with a mindset 35,000 feet in the air leaving Pasadena. Now, Coleman-Williams gets his first opportunity to show the world the results of his eight-month journey, starting Saturday at 11 a.m. CT against East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

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