Well, we have seen how prodigies in Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama players place Ryan Williams on a pedestal. He had been setting the standard for the next-gen stars in Tuscaloosa, living up to DeBoer’s expectations: “We want you to be men of integrity.” Last season, the 18-year-old wide receiver caught the buzz for his heroic feat against Georgia, the quintessential 75-yard touchdown catch. Off the field, too, Williams has spread his impact, hosting his two youth football camps. However, turns out that when it comes to his 2025 season feat, Williams failed to woo an Alabama alum. And who is upset with the WR, even though he brushed off outside noise and went off against Wisconsin?

That’s none other than the Crimson Tide great Damien Harris. The legend rather walked the critical path for Williams, after the WR had a rocky start against Florida State. Between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Harris has been the leading rusher in the Tuscaloosa camp; he has been Alabama’s top runner in a deep group of backs. Now, what did he say about Williams?  

On September 13, Harris posted a clip of his interview with CBS Sports. For the IG story, Harris wrote, “Not just this week…every week!” The clip shows Harris, sitting down with pen and paper to grade Williams. “Where the hell is Ryan Williams? Do we need to put out a missing person report? Do we need to alert the authorities because, my brother – I’m going to go back to the Florida State game because that’s the only tape I’ve got of you so far.”

Williams had a rocky start against Florida State. He recorded 5 receptions for 30 yards and zero touchdowns. He then went missing during Alabama’s face-off against UL Monroe as he was recovering from a concussion. In that case, his last 100-yard game was during Alabama’s victory over Georgia last season, before the Wisconsin game.   

“He hasn’t had a 100-yard game since Georgia. He hasn’t had a touchdown since, what was it, Mercer last year? I mean, we’re going back five, six, seven, eight [games] all the way back to the Georgia game last year,” said Harris. Last season, as a freshman, Williams had 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns to lead Alabama receivers. 

Against Florida State, Williams struggled in the slot. He ended up being targeted 11 times. At the end, he came up with only five catches for 30 yards, along with this, he had three drops. Thus, Harris said, “I am going to say, Ryan Williams, brother, I’ve talked to you on the sideline, personally. I’ve talked to you. I know you. … I’ve heard you say the right things. You’re a great young man. You’ve got a great smile. You do a lot of things well. We need to see you deliver on the football field more than we see you deliver on TikTok and on Instagram and on Snapchat.” 

While Williams’ off-field shenanigans have caught attention, he has put all the on-field criticism at rest with his rage against Wisconsin.

AJ McCarron doesn’t hold back in his harsh assessment of Ryan Williams

Not just Harris. Before him, Alabama alum, former quarterback AJ McCarron ripped apart Williams. He did not mince his words and claimed, “That’s some of the worst route running I’ve ever seen in my life. Ever. He was non-existent in this game. He plays way too high. He doesn’t look any bigger. He doesn’t look any stronger, he doesn’t look any faster. He runs way too high for a slot receiver.” This made Williams catch more hate for his off-field fame. With this, he ended up comparing Williams with Jeremiah Smith. 

“You’re not Jeremiah Smith brother. Jeremiah Smith could have come out last year and been drafted the first pick overall,” came McCarron’s sharp jab. Both Williams and Ohio State stars entered as freshmen last season. Now that their skills are compared, NIL also demands attention. Smith’s reported $4 to $5 million NIL salary this season represents a new benchmark for non-quarterbacks in college football. And what about Williams?

The Alabama star faced a blow in his NIL after hitting a speed bump in Tallahassee. Before the Florida State face-off, his NIL valuation was approximately $2.7 million entering the season. But it dropped to $2.6 million, listing suggests a six-figure dip ($146k) in the latest weekly recalculation. So, he is still a long way from catching up with Smith. However, Williams has hushed up all the criticisms.

The Alabama receiver caught three passes for 49 yards in the first half against Wisconsin. But Ryan Williams pressed the accelerator in the second half and scored a 75-yard touchdown on a screen pass. He hauled in three passes for 49 yards before halftime, then erupted after the break. Williams had 5 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns, marking his first 100-yard outing since his standout game against Georgia last September. Will this feat be enough to erase the past criticisms?