Are Alabama WR Ryan Williams and Serena Williams related?

Tennis legend Serena Williams took to social media to show her support of Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams, calling him “my 17 year old cousin” in the process. That, unsurprisingly, led many to assume the two are actually related.
By all indications, the two are not actually related, though, and Serena Williams was just being playful given that the two share a last name. In fact, if it wasn’t for the breakout season that Ryan Williams has been having, it’s likely she wouldn’t even know who he is.
In particular, Williams caught the attention of the entire country thanks to his massive success against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, September 28th. During that game, he made six receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown, which made him the game’s leading receiver. That included the game-winning score when he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. Along the way, he was able to pull off multiple spin moves and ran away from multiple Georgia defenders.
At the time that Ryan Williams made that touchdown catch, the Crimson Tide were tailing 34-33 and were at risk of suffering a devastating loss. After all, at one point, Alabama led 28-0 over Georgia. So, it took a massive comeback for the Bulldogs to take the lead that late in the game.
Part of what has made Williams’ season so impressive is how young he is. At 17 years old, he could still be in high school. Instead, he’s playing at the highest level of college football and helping the Crimson Tide to win vital games.
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For the season, Ryan Williams has 16 receptions for 462 yards and five touchdowns. That’s an average of 28.9 yards per catch.
Given all of the success that he’s had this season, it’s no surprise that Williams has begun to attract attention from celebrities and other famous athletes. After all, there is plenty to appreciate about his game his success is worth celebrating, as Serena Williams did, even if she isn’t actually a member of his family.
Amid all of this success, Ryan Williams has also seen his On3 NIL Valuation skyrocket. It now sits at $1.5 million, which is up from $768,000 prior to the game against Georgia. With that, he now also sits at 14th in the On3 NIL 100. Meanwhile, Williams is ranked 12th in college football now.