College Football's Most Disappointing Player Predicted to Have Rebound Season

The most disappointing player from the 2025 college football season is expected to have a breakout season in 2026.

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) on the field before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

A six-and-a-half-month wait separates the middle of February from the first weekend of the 2026 college football season.

Some college football programs are looking to sustain or build off the success they experienced in 2025. The more common attitude from programs across the sport is to right wrongs that occurred last season.

One SEC program making an effort to return to its former glory in 2026 is Alabama. No player encapsulated the Crimson Tide's disappointment from 2025 more than the sophomore slump of wide receiver Ryan Williams.

The 6-foot, 178-pounder was a five-star prospect when he committed to the Crimson Tide. He only ranked behind Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Cam Coleman of Texas (then Auburn) among wide receivers in the class of 2024.

Williams was Alabama's most productive wide receiver during the 2024 season. He caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 48 yards and two more touchdowns.

He eclipsed 100 yards receiving in two games, most notably the Crimson Tide's win over Georgia on Sept. 28, 2024. Williams was named to both the All-SEC First Team and All-SEC Freshman Team by the league's coaches.

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) looks on during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

2025 was an unwanted step back for Williams. He grabbed 49 receptions for 689 yards and only four touchdowns. The only game Williams racked up over 100 receiving yards was the Crimson Tide's win over Wisconsin on Sept. 13.

Williams' 689 receiving yards was twentieth-best mark among wide receivers in 2025. Among those returning to the SEC in 2026, that places him at No. 9 behind the aforementioned Cam Coleman.

With two more seasons of eligibility to prove himself to NFL franchises, Williams is in need of a resurgence. Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports compiled a list of the 10 players in college football with the best opportunities for bounce-back seasons in 2026 on Wednesday. Williams was one of the 10 players on Jeyarajah's list.

"Ryan Williams was the most disappointing player of 2025 by a fairly wide margin," Jeyarajah wrote. "After earning numerous preseason All-America honors, Williams finished in a distant second in receptions and receiving yards on his own team. With fellow top receivers Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton gone, Williams will be asked to take a step toward superstardom. The talent is there; is the production?"

As Jeyarajah alluded to, Germie Bernard is out of eligibility, and Isaiah Horton entered the NCAA transfer portal and committed to Texas A&M. Lotzeir Brooks is the only other wide receiver with a sizable contribution returning to Alabama, finishing 2025 with 32 catches for 441 yards and two touchdowns.

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) carries the ball after a reception against the LSU Tigers | David Leong-Imagn Images