Ryan Williams Lists NFL Wide Receivers He Models Game After

The Crimson Tide sophomore discusses how he incorporates the skill sets of DeVonta Smith, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Nov 8, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) carries the ball after a reception against the Louisiana State Tigers during the fourth quarter of the game at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams has made countless wild plays and created some unforgettable moments in his two seasons with the Crimson Tide thus far.

The sophomore became a college football superstar when he was a freshman last season, and a big reason for his rapid rise to stardom was due to his success as a 17-year-old who reclassified to 2024.

Williams, now 18, had to learn his current skillset from somewhere, and on Tuesday, he shared the NFL players that he models his game after.

"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."

In addition to being a Heisman Trophy winner and a College Football Playoff national champion, former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, along with six other Philadelphia Eagles with Crimson Tide roots, won the Super Bowl in February. Williams actually trained a bit with Smith during the offseason.

“Just learning from a guy that’s really defied a lot of odds,” Williams told ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis in June. “He’s an amazing football player, but he’s an even better person. He really embraces you. I wouldn’t say he doesn’t like working out with other people, but he likes working out with certain people.

"Just for him to accept me and us being able to bounce ideas off each other and really get after it for those couple of days, it was super fun, I learned a lot and I’ve been applying it since I’ve been there. I am just super excited for this season.”

Smith is up to 657 receiving yards for the Eagles this season, which is good for the 12th-most in the league. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson sits at eighth in this stat category and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is No. 5.

It's worth noting that Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson recently said that he models his game after a handful of quarterbacks, including Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow. Burrow and Jefferson were teammates at LSU, and the duo played key roles in defeating the Crimson Tide in 2019 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has only lost at home one time since.