On February 9, 2007, a star was born, although at the time, little did his parents know that he would become the poster boy of one of the most storied programs in college football: Alabama. Right from attending Saraland High School and excelling there to reclassifying a year before and still living up to the hype. Ryan Williams has truly come a long way and has several accolades to his name. This starts from being featured on EA Sports’ CFB 26 video game’s cover to now bagging a massive NIL deal with Nike.

If you think committing to Alabama was the best thing that Ryan Williams did, then you are massively misguided. The guy could have thrived anywhere, as he came after receiving back-to-back 1,300+ yards in high school and even won Mr. Alabama and Gatorade Player of the Year. So, in reality, it was Alabama that benefited from Williams, and in turn, the combination resulted in an unworldly true freshman season where he received 865 yards. The same exploits and hype have now led him to a major milestone with Nike.

Williams has recently signed a massive NIL deal with Nike after Jeremiah Smith chose to wear three stripes. The move is as sensational as it can get, and Ryan Williams is just happy that his dream to wear that ‘swoosh’ finally got fulfilled. “Since I can remember, Nike has always been the best fit on and off the field. Family has always been a huge part of who I am. When I had the opportunity to join the Nike family, I knew I had to just do it,” said Ryan Williams in a press brief.

Ryan Williams has become the second player in college football to have signed an NIL deal with the 107.1 billion dollar giant, only after Shedeur Sanders. While Shedeur was an exceptional player and had produced 4,000+ yards last year, some of the hype he got also had to do with Deion Sanders, and that might have played some part in the Nike deal. As for Ryan Williams, the guy is a lone wolf and is thriving just on his talent and the ceiling he offers.

Take, for example, Williams’ game against Western Kentucky last year, where he received 139 yards and earned SEC freshman of the week honors. The moment was massive since that was just his debut game, and no one expected these kinds of performances in just his first game. Moreover, who can forget his gravity-defying touchdown against Georgia, right? That said, there’s still a player in college football who can give Williams a run for his money, and he has chosen three stripes.

Ryan Williams v Jeremiah Smith, a new battle of superstars?

If any player can outmatch Ryan Williams in receiving prowess, then it would undoubtedly be Jeremiah Smith. The guy had a historic season with Ryan Day’s Buckeyes and received an unmatched 1,315 yards. So, naturally, sponsors lined up for him, including giants like Red Bull and Nintendo. But the major test came quite recently when he was forced to choose between two giants: Nike and Adidas. And Jeremiah Smith, without hesitation, chose three strips with a fierce message.

After the deal was announced, Jeremiah Smith took to X and proclaimed his loyalty to Adidas. “Three Stripes for Life.” Although his father, Chris Smith, is taking all the fame and the deals with a “pinch of salt.” “He did exceed expectations I had. My expectations were just going to school, getting in when he can, and earning his steps as a freshman. I didn’t know he was going to take over. It’s surreal, but we take it with a grain of salt. There’s more football to play. I always tell him never to get big-headed. Just keep working. You can be up top one day and down the next. Stay even keel,” said Chris Smith.

The competition between Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Alabama’s Ryan Williams will be exciting to watch, with their priorities set. Both players have immense talent and would be making a run probably for the Heisman. Could this be one of those iconic rivalries that we have seen in other sports, like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Will the division of sponsor rivalries have its effect on how both players play in the 2025 season? In just one month, we will start getting some of these answers for sure.