Ryan Williams Stuns Alabama Fans with 2 TDs in 1st Half vs. WKU; WR Is 17 Years Old
Julia StumbaughSeptember 1, 2024
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
Alabama’s 17-year-old wide receiver Ryan Williams caught two touchdown passes in the first half of his Crimson Tide debut.
Williams recorded a total of 139 yards on the two catches, which marked the first of his college career.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport17-YEAR OLD Ryan Williams’ first 2 catches of his CFB career:
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Williams’ second touchdown catch put the Crimson Tide ahead by 42 points at the half.
SportsCenter @SportsCenter17-year-old Ryan Williams with his second catch and TD of the night š„ pic.twitter.com/77vNEFina3
Williams, a five-star prospect, reclassified to the 2024 class from the 2025 class in order to join Alabama this season.
Williams’ first touchdown catch came on an 84-yard pass from Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The freshman was able to find separation from WKU defenders and run up the right side of the field to put Alabama ahead by 21 points.
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Milroe then connected again with Williams in the final minutes of the half. After the catch the wide receiver broke a tackle in order to complete the touchdown.
According to the depth chart released by head coach Kalen DeBoer ahead of the season opener, Williams entered the game as a backup to third-year receiver Kendrick Law.
After Milroe ran for a touchdown and Law caught another, Williams got the opportunity to record his first career catch by the end of the first quarter to bring the Crimson Tide to the end zone for a third time.
Williams recorded more than 4,600 all-purpose yards for 65 touchdowns in his last two high school seasons in Saraland, Alabama, per 247Sports.
The 17-year-old’s ability to translate that success to the college game will only further raise expectations for DeBoer in his first year as head coach. Even after the departure of longtime head coach Nick Saban, Alabama could chase a double-digit win total and trip to the College Football Playoff next spring.
