Last season, Alabama kept the return game spinning. Injuries to Cole Adams and others forced the Tide to rotate. Yes, along with Adams, Jaylen Mbakwe, Ryan Williams, and others, all took snaps on returns in 2024. Now, this fall, as camp rolls on after the second scrimmage, the returner room is still buzzing. So, who’s ready to rise and own the return game in 2025?

Well, Alabama’s return game is still up for grabs. “We haven’t decided on who the starter will be back there. Guys that did a good job a year ago, we got Cole [Adams] back there, really in both – and he started out as our punt returner a year ago, and he’s done a nice job just being steady,” said Bama HC Kalen DeBoer during the press conference on Saturday. But despite the starter spot still up in the air, the returner room is stacked, and here, Ryan Williams will take on a bigger role this season.

On August 16, Alabama insider Charlie Potter reported Kalen DeBoer’s update on the return game. DeBoer made one thing clear; he’d “start with” Ryan Williams, along with other options. And the reason? “Ryan [Williams] had great experience there last year. Had a couple of explosive plays, got thrown into action there when Bak (Jaylen Mbakwe) went down through the season,” said DeBoer.

Here’s the thing: At just 17, Ryan Williams lit up CFB. The Alabama wideout reclassified early, then proved he belonged, racking up 865 yards, eight scores through the air, and a stack of honors, including Freshman All-American and First-Team All-SEC. Now, with kickoff just weeks away, his role only grows. He’s not just a return option. His elite receiver skills and recognition demand he remains the Tide’s go-to playmaker. Fittingly, Williams just landed on the Walter Camp Preseason All-America team, a sign of the spotlight waiting for him this fall. But DeBoer’s returner options don’t stop with Adams or Williams.

Yes, Rico Scott and Jaylen Mbakwe are firmly in the mix. “And then I think new faces, you’ve got Rico [Scott], probably kickoff return, you know, can do some things back there for us. And then Bak [Jaylen Mbakwe] in both areas as well. He and Cole really I think, can do both, and provide a combination of just consistency with fielding it, and then some explosiveness there, so I would start with those guys,” said DeBoer. But the list doesn’t end there. “I would have 100% confident having Germie Bernard back there to field punts and things like that. That’s kinda the nuts and bolts of who we put back there,” he added. Now, while DeBoer’s returner options seem set, a Heisman winner has offered crucial advice to Ryan Williams on how to handle the added load.

A piece of advice for Ryan Williams

Mark Ingram carried his game with purpose. “I wanted to be the best that ever carried the football,” said Ingram on the New Wave Podcast with Ryan Williams and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. Inspired by legends like Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Adrian Peterson, Ingram believed he could be even greater. As Alabama’s first Heisman winner and the 2009 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, he reflected on a career that helped define the Crimson Tide from 2008 to 2010. He is now offering Ryan Williams and Kirkpatrick Jr. some wise words to carry with them.

“Y’all ballers,” he said. “Y’all will be out of here soon.” So, his message was simple: don’t take Bama for granted. On top of that, Ingram, a first-round pick and 12-year NFL vet, reminded Williams of the mindset that fueled his rise. “When you have a huge game, nobody cares. What are you going to do next game? You have a bad play? Shake it off, bro, because everything ain’t always going to be perfect.” So, for Williams, the advice is clear: stay grounded and stay ready. However, the Heisman winner didn’t stop there.

Here, Ingram’s message to Ryan Williams was direct and powerful. “You got a vision, right? You got a goal, right? Work toward that goal no matter what happens—good, bad, indifferent. Work toward that goal and nothing can stop you from reaching that.” So now, for Williams, the takeaway is simple. Focus, block the distractions, and pursue greatness with relentless drive