There was a time under Nick Saban when playing for Alabama guaranteed you a national championship title and a promise of your name being chanted all over the country. This was and still is the appeal that Bama carries with itself. It’s not just a team, it’s not even a powerhouse; it was and still is a footballing revolution that swept America for two decades. 6 national championships and 9 SEC titles are just the tip of the iceberg. But now, with Kalen DeBoer at the helm, perhaps that championship promise is fading, but the brand remains strong.  Something that Ryan Williams is reaping the benefits of, which has also come due to his incredible 2024 performances.

Coming off some stellar seasons in 2022 and 2023, Ryan Williams was a touted 5 stars and the 3rd ranked receiver for the 2025 class. After all, the guy had 1,324 yards in his junior year, along with 30 rushes for 261 yards. But Williams didn’t wait that long and reclassified to compete in the 2024 class’s recruitment game. He chose Alabama over teams like Florida, Georgia, and Ole Miss, a bold move since the program was reeling with Saban’s departure. However, the player didn’t disappoint, and that has reaped its rewards.

The Alabama wide receiver is featured on the cover page of the upcoming EA Sports’ College Football 2026 video game alongside Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. The feat is unprecedented for Williams, who showed prolific receptions, garnering 865 yards at the stellar average of 18 yards per game as a true freshman. The wide receiver claimed to be a “lifelong EA Sports” fan and said it was a dream come true for him.

Charlie Potter, the ON3 Sports Senior Writer, relayed Ryan Williams’ message through his X account. “As a lifelong fan of EA SPORTS games, being on the cover of College Football 26 is a dream come true. It was incredible to see myself in College Football 25 last year, and now to represent Alabama and share this moment with fans who’ve played EA SPORTS games for years is unreal.” Even Jeremiah Smith’s cousin Angelo Smith, who himself is an up-and-coming football prodigy from high school, shared the development on his IG story and reacted with a ‘fire‘ emoji.

Angelo Smith is the younger cousin of Ohio State’s stalwart wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and is a prospect of the 2027 class. A two-way player, the guy can play both as a safety and wide receiver, and has talent that has garnered him a rating of 88 on 247 Sports. Standing at 5’9″ and 160 lbs, the two-way future star plays for Chaminade-Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida, and already has 5 offers in his bag. These include teams like Georgia State, Akron, Toledo, Oklahoma State, and Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes.

Ryan Williams opens up on the harsh reality of Kalen DeBoer’s first year

While not many had expected Ryan Williams to excel in just his first season at Alabama without Nick Saban, he proved everyone wrong with his performances. It wasn’t a stroke of genius but a meticulous effort on Williams’ part and the efforts the head coach Kalen DeBoer put in. For instance, in that debut game against Western Kentucky, Williams won the SEC Freshman of the Week after receiving 139 yards and two touchdowns with just two receptions. This year, the wide receiver is planning to upgrade his performance even more and has now opened up on Coach DeBoer’s tenure with Alabama.

In a documentary called All in by Williams talks about how DeBoer’s starting tenure was a cultural shock. “When coach DeBoer first got here, it was kind of a culture shock…Just listening to the other guys, some people weren’t bought into Coach DeBoer yet…Now that we’re in year 2, basically everyone that’s here is bought into coach DeBoer and the rest of the coaching staff and everything we do.”

Just imagine how well Ryan Williams excelled when, in his words, the team wasn’t “bought” into Kalen DeBoer, and now that the team has spent a full off-season with him and a season, well, Ryan Williams will undoubtedly be a beast. Alabama will face FSU in week 1 on the road and will have a tough game against UGA in week four. Both games will be challenging, and Ryan Williams will have to be on his toes to perform. Other games like the one against LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Auburn (on the road) can also be tricky and will test the team inside out. As for Williams, he just got featured on EA Sports’ 2026 college football video game. That alone tells you the potential he has.