Until now, ex-Alabama HC boasted the tag of being the Recruitment King. While the new HC Kalen DeBoer is yet to reach the GOAT’s fame, atleast one of his very first steps proved to be very successful. Obviously, high risk followed when DeBoer went with Ryan Williams who is still in the pre-adult phase. But taking the gamble, the HC has hit the jackpot. And he is not the only one.

Williams too reaped the fruits for giving Tide a chance and is soaring high in the NIL front that went 2x. Did you know that a Tide staffer ran after Williams right after his plane landed?

Kalen DeBoer’s early interest in Ryan Williams

Williams had been more of a to-and-fro guest when it came to Alabama. Back in October 2022, he committed to Tide but as soon as Saban retired he took back his commitment. Again in January this year, he bore the crimson red tag. However, it would not have been possible had the program not shown so much enthusiasm for Williams. During his interview with analyst Paul Finebaum, HC DeBoer confessed, “He was a priority right off the bat.”

There must have been something that made the yet-to-be-adult WR so alluring. The Tide HC pinpointed, “His ability to just retain the information and then articulate it back.” Hardly did DeBoer expect Williams to cater to the HC’s needs going by the blueprint. “It happened in a couple different ways where it was just different than what I normally see from someone who you know when you’re trying to give the understanding of your offense,” Williams received the gold star from the HC. 

Not just this, Tide GM Courtney Morgan once shared insights from their recruitment mission, “I never forget when the plane landed and it was like we gotta get Ryan keep Ryan.” Thank god the 17-year-old got influenced by the efforts that Crimson Tide had shown. He is now enjoying the NIL boost. 

The rise of Ryan Williams in college football

The Alabama vs Georgia clash has been one of the most hyped games this season. And guess who made the game his own highlight reel? Of course, had to be Williams. Just when a few defenders tackled Alabama’s dynamic freshman WR, he came up with a 75-yard touchdown catch! This move will be forever etched in Alabama’s memory since it helped the No.4 Tide hold on for a thrilling 41-34 win over the No. 2 Dawgs.

While Williams might have expected to be in the limelight, he has been gifted with yet another big thing to celebrate. As per the numbers put forward by Pete Nakos of On3, the 17-year-old WR had an NIL valuation of $768,000. It just took him one game and a historic catch in his debut season to reach $1.5 million. 

And what about the rankings? After catching the game-winning touchdown, Ryan Williams now holds the 14th position among college athletes tying with LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier and Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg. Now a big question looms whether Williams will be the youngest player ever drafted in the NFL.

While you look for the answer, in case you wish to explore concepts like NIL in details, you can check out on the latest episode of the Think Tank podcast.