Auburn legacy Ryan Williams spurns the Tigers, commits to Alabama
The Crimson Tide are continuing to lure top in-state wide receivers to Tuscaloosa. After landing Foley (Al.) product Perry Thompson over the summer, Alabama just earned a commitment from elite sophomore target Ryan Williams.
On Saturday, the Saraland (Ala.) wideout chose Nick Saban’s program over an offer sheet that featured Auburn, Florida State, Louisville, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and others. That Auburn one is the most interesting as his father — Ryan Williams — played for the Tigers just over a decade ago.
Williams is a member of the Class of 2025, but this is still a massive pickup for the Tide. The 2025 On3 Consensus tabs Williams as the No. 19 overall sophomore prospect in the country. He’s also the third-ranked wide receiver and the No. 5 player in the state of Alabama.
It’s not a surprise to see why Williams would commit to Bama this early.
The 6-foot, 155-pound pass catcher has been on campus four times this year, including Saturday for Alabama’s matchup with Texas A&M. On his previous trip for their season opener, Williams says he felt at home while on campus.
“I felt love. I felt like I was supposed to be there,” Williams previously told BamaInsider. “I’ve been to other schools, like Ole Miss and Florida State. Every time I’ve been to Bama, everybody talks to me. At other schools, it’s usually just your recruiting coordinator and they just show you around. But everybody came up and talked to me [at Alabama]. It just felt like everybody was bought in and they really wanted me.”
Williams has also taken notice of the opportunities that Alabama’s freshmen have received this season.
“It just made me see that it’s definitely possible,” Williams said. “As long as I work hard and dominate, I can have a fair shot at getting on the field no matter the age. I saw Jameson Williams, too. Took a picture with him at the game. They’ve definitely produced great receivers.”
On3 rankings expert Charles Power thinks highly of Ryan Williams
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power views Ryan Williams as one of the top prospects in his class.
In August, Power included Williams on the On3 2025 Football Prospect Watch List. Assigning him a grade of 91, that puts Williams in the top two of wide receivers — the other being Caleb Cunningham — in the 2025 cycle.
Power wrote the following about Williams on Sept. 28 following his sixth game of the season.
“Few high school receiver prospects – regardless of cycle – are off to a hotter start to the season than Saraland (Ala.) High 2025 pass catcher Ryan Williams,” Power wrote. “The 6-foot, 155-pounder is making huge plays on a weekly basis. He’s accounted for 714 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 37 catches in addition to 224 rushing yards and five touchdowns on just 13 attempts. We got a further glimpse of Williams’ game-breaking ability against Foley (Ala.) High on Friday night.
“The sophomore standout hauled in seven caches for 161 yards and three touchdowns, along with a 31-yard gain on a speed sweep,” Power also said. “Williams showed off his 10.72 second speed on the first touchdown, beating 2024 Alabama commit Perry Thompson deep for a long score. He showed situational awareness in sitting down in zone coverage for the second touchdown catch and followed that up with another long score on a deep ball.”
Alabama’s 2025 recruiting efforts are just getting started. The program has offered 26 sophomore prospects thus far, with six of them being from Alabama. Check out the full Crimson Tide offer sheet for the 2025 class HERE!
Also check out our Alabama – Texas A&M game week stories and threads!
**** Alabama/Texas A&M Master Recruiting Thread
**** Bone’s Insider Report: The recruits to watch this weekend vs. Texas A&M ***
*** Alabama Official Visitor Spotlight: 5-star EDGE Keon Keeley
*** Alabama Official Visitor Spotlight: Top-ranked 2023 TE Duce Robinson
** Key recruiting battles between Alabama and Texas A&M
** BamaInsider Recruiting Roundtable: Key Alabama – Texas A&M storylines plus two bold predictions
