Wide receivers tend to get overshadowed by the popularity that quarterbacks enjoy in college football. But if they can be legendary, people are going to remember them, and also pay them handsomely, and the same is happening in the Alabama Crimson Tide. But, of course, it’s tough to get that No. 1 spot when Jeremiah Smith is out there asserting his dominance. Ryan Williams struggles to break through the reign that the OSU WR has established for himself.

Both Smith and Williams entered the 2024 season as freshmen. But the OSU receiver ended up with the larger share of the spotlight, courtesy of his sensational year. His presence in a loaded Buckeyes WR room was enough to project the offense as one of the best in the country. Williams also put up a brilliant show last year, hauling in 48 catches for 865 yards and 8 TDs. But a run to the National Championship is definitely going to have more fans, compared to a 9-4 record. That reflects financially as well. Williams is following behind Smith in NIL rankings, at $1.8 million, at No. 2.

Smith is expected to make between $4-$5 million this year. The gap shows clearly the stark difference between their brands. Williams was still the No. 1 receiver expected to deliver this season, taking the pressure off of new QB1 Ty Simpson. But as long as Jeremiah Smith continues his reign, it will be difficult for Williams to be a star. Williams signed an NIL deal with Beats just before the season began. He is part of the brand’s ‘Beats Elite’ class that features top college football players. Surprisingly, this group doesn’t include Smith.

The 2025 season has started on a really bad note for Alabama’s star receiver. Williams could only register 5 catches for just 30 yards. And he took a nasty blow to the head in the FSU game, giving him a concussion. The WR got ruled out of the ULM game and is now on a “day-to-day” observation basis, per Kalen DeBoer. Losing Williams will bring a tough blow to the receiving corps at Tuscaloosa. He even suffered a $146,000 drop in his NIL valuation before Week 2, according to his On3 profile. Though Williams might have to do a lot more to outshine Smith, he is the brightest talent in the Alabama WR room.

Jermiah Smith and Ryan Williams have been compared side-by-side a lot of times. But the fact is that they are the best receivers in college football. We see them play in different colors, but imagine the strength of a WR room if it had both of them together. It’s a sight we’d have loved to see, but Williams was not too interested in the idea.

Ryan Williams turns down the suggestion about playing with Jeremiah Smith

Williams joined Smith on the cover of the EA Sports College Football 26. That’s proof enough of the power that this duo possesses. Both are also Biletnikoff semifinalists, while also hauling in All-SEC and Big 10 honors. The list could include a lot more should the two join hands, something that On3 proposed to Ryan Williams. But he wasn’t in favor of it, thinking about the greater good. “That wouldn’t be fair,” he told On3 in June. “Everybody that I’m playing against would quit by the end of the first half.”

Both receivers also agreed that there was “a lot on the table” after 2024. Roll Tide Wire predicted Williams to bring in 70 receptions for 1100 yards, and he was well in position to do so ahead of the season. But his troubling status so far puts a pause on that goal. Smith, on the other hand, has 11 catches in 162 yards so far, along with 2 TDs.

The OSU star is expected to chart his way to becoming a legendary WR by the end of his career. So is Ryan Williams at Alabama. But at this point, Williams will have to pull off something like bringing the moon to earth to break through Smith’s shadow. Or, Smith has to end up becoming a disaster, which we know is far less likely to happen.