BOL Pulse: The Latest on Elite WR Ryan Williams

Ryan Williams, five-star plus+ wide receiver from Saraland High School (Ala.), decommitted from Alabama on January 10, shortly after Nick Saban announced his retirement. Williams, who committed more than a year ago, decided to step back from the the Crimson Tide, and perhaps re-consider based on its next head coach.

Enter Kalen DeBoer. No ties to the South, but a highly respected coach who propels the offense shine, especially the quarterback and wide receivers. There may have been initial excitement from schools like Auburn, Texas and even Texas A&M when Williams re-opened. He also didn’t know Coach DeBoer outside of watching Washington’s offense. Another plus for the others, so it seemed.

BOL provides our take on where things currently stand in the pursuit of the No. 5 overall player in the On3 Sports Player Industry Rankings.

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What Alabama fans need to know:

Five-Star Plus+ WR Ryan Williams (right) with Alabama true freshman Jaylen Mbakwe(left)

Williams took an official visit to Alabama this past weekend. It was his second time visiting with Coach DeBoer. He took an unofficial visit on Tuesday for an introduction to the new head coach in Tuscaloosa. Sources told BOL prior to the meet that Williams was excited about the hire do to Washington’s offense which feature more than 5,000 receiving yards during the 2023 season.

Williams has a very strong love for the University of Alabama. It may have been initiated when Williams was younger because of Nick Saban and the dominance of the program throughout his entire life. He has called it his second home for a long time.

He made an abrupt decision (decommit) two weeks ago. He took an official visit to Texas A&M two days later which may have allowed Williams to clear his mind. He saw a familiar face in former Alabama wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins who moved to College Station the previous week. He spoke with Coach DeBoer during the weekend, The one replacing the greatest to ever recruit, knew the first high school target to call.

The relationship continued to evolve during the next few days- not months, or even years as most contenders. The first conversation between the two was less than two weeks ago.

He spent a lot of tie wit with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and connected really well with new wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard during the return this past weekend. He also learned much more about Coach DeBoer, and believes this is the right person to replace Coach Saban.

“Definitely, I’m not sure there could’ve been much of a better fit,” Williams told AL.com “Just with everybody being at their schools now, I think he was the best fit for Alabama, especially with the system that he’s bringing, for the receiver position, it’ll be a good fit for him.”

CLICK HERE to keep track of HS visits for Coach DeBoer and Alabama staff this week!

BOL Take:

There has been a re-energized buzz regarding Williams, and it may have started before the official visit. It has continued to grow. Alabama freshman Jaylen Mbakwe has certainly been at the forefront of helping recruit his former ‘class’ mate.

Williams cancelled official visit plans to Texas on Tuesday afternoon. He is currently scheduled for an official visit to Auburn next weekend, with a signing date set for February 9. Will he decide to cancel another scheduled trip? We shall see.

Alabama, regardless, has moved into strong position for the top unsigned recruit in the ’24 class. The love for Coach Saban may have caused the early interest, but it’s the love for the program, overall, which may add Williams back to the ’24 signing class.

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