Ryan Williams dealt NIL setback after Alabama's loss to Florida State

In the wake of No. 8 Alabama’s 31–17 season-opening loss at Florida State on Aug. 30, the ripple effects reached beyond the field and into the name, image and likeness economy around one of the Crimson Tide’s brightest stars, sophomore receiver Ryan Williams. Florida State out-rushed Alabama 230–87 and ended the Tide’s 23-game streak of season-opening wins, a result that also coincided with a week-over-week adjustment in Williams’ estimated NIL market value.

On Wednesday’s update to On3’s NIL databases, Williams’ On3 NIL Valuation was listed at $2.6 million. On3’s profile page ranks him No. 15 in the overall NIL 100 and No. 13 among college football players, reflecting both his on-field profile and a combined social following of roughly 1.2 million across Instagram, TikTok and X.

Wide receiver Ryan Williams | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Before kickoff in Tallahassee, multiple outlets cited Williams at approximately $2.7 million entering the season as his NIL presence expanded with brand partnerships. That pre-game figure and the new $2.6 million listing suggest a six-figure dip ($146k) in the latest weekly recalculation.

Williams’ Week 1 was eventful beyond the database. He exited in the fourth quarter after a high hit initially flagged for targeting — a call later reversed — and went to the locker room for further evaluation. Against FSU, Williams logged five catches for 30 yards. His health will remain a central storyline as Alabama prepares for Louisiana-Monroe.

As for the game itself, the Seminoles set the tone on the ground behind quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who ran for 78 yards and a touchdown and completed 9 of 14 passes for 152 yards. Alabama, starting Ty Simpson at quarterback, finished 6 of 17 on third down and was stopped on three 4th-down tries. Simpson threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns, and Germie Bernard led Alabama with eight catches for 146 yards, but the Tide were limited to 29 rushing attempts for 87 yards. The defeat marked a sharp contrast to the Nick Saban era’s history against unranked foes as second-year coach Kalen DeBoer fell to 6–4 in such games with the Tide.

From an NIL-and-performance perspective, Williams’ positioning remains elite: a top-15 overall NIL 100 profile, top-tier status among college football athletes, and headline partnerships were added this summer.

Alabama hosts ULM on Saturday looking for a reset after Florida State’s statement win dented, but did not determine, the Tide’s postseason ambitions — and offered a reminder that in modern college football, the scoreboard and the social-economy scoreboard often move in tandem.