Alabama Star Ryan Williams: Dream Come True To Grace Cover of EA Sports NCAA Football 26

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams is ready to conquer in his second season.

The 18-year-old is entering his sophomore year at Alabama after reclassifying from the class of 2025 to the class of 2024. 

He played his freshman year as a 17-year-old for the Crimson Tide with obvious high expectations and produced, posting 48 receptions for 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, garnering Freshman All-American and First-Team All-SEC honors.

Entering his second year, he’s considered one of the top two receivers — along with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith — and it’s no coincidence both of them were named the cover athletes of EA Sports NCAA Football 26.

“One thousand percent,” Williams said when asked if this is a dream come true. “As a kid playing NCAA, I remember NCAA 14 being the last one and I was hurt. Before I came to school, I bought an Xbox 360 just so I could buy NCAA 14 so I could keep playing it until ’25 came out. It’s crazy.”

Williams is just as ready to star in real life, and says he’s embracing more of the “leadership” role as he enters his second season after missing the spring last year after reclassifying.

“This year I had the opportunity to go through the spring, and I’ve been here a whole year, so it’s been more of that leadership role,” says Williams in his exclusive interview with ESports Insider. “I like to impact as many people as possible. That starts from my family. If I can’t affect my little brother, then how am I going to affect somebody across the country? It’s the same thing here every day in the workplace. It started out with the receivers, but now I feel like I can connect with anyone on the team.”

Williams, who initially came in at 165 pounds last year, eventually filled out to 175 pounds on his 6-foot frame. He says he continues to fill out and has been working on strength along with his route drills.

“Just me developing as a player,” says Williams. “Last year, I was on a lighter side, just because I was a year younger than what I was supposed to be, like I’m supposed to be coming in right now. I was a little lighter so I’m starting to fill out a little more on the strength side, and just pretty much being more definitive in routes, just overall being a better football player.”

Williams mentions obvious challenging adjustments going from the high school to the college game, detailing understanding his body and going through the physicality of a full college season. The Crimson Tide played in 13 games last season, going 9-4.

That includes Williams’ huge game against No. 2-ranked Georgia where he caught six passes for 177 yards and the game-winning 75 yard touchdown in a 41-34 victory.

“The biggest challenge going into this past season, and just throughout the entire season, was pretty much understanding my body,” says Williams. “Through fall camp, because I got here in the summertime, that was pretty much up until that point my peak body. Whenever I got here, I was moving fast, just excited to be here because I wasn’t able to participate in the spring. 

“I still had the young legs,” Williams continues to say. “I should have listened. I should have listened just going throughout the season, you’re going to get banged up.”

He stresses working on the conditioning and the “little things” in June so your body still feels good in November.

“That’s a part of football, but it’s about how you respond and how your body responds and just making sure that you did the little things in June, so that your body is still working like how it was in June, in November,” says Williams. “That’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve learned so far and this year is going to be super exciting. I’ve had that year of experience, had that year of big games. I know what to expect. Going into this season, super excited.”

Williams: DeVonta Smith ‘A True Gladiator’ In Offseason Workouts

The Crimson Tide standout has been working out with a fellow Alabama alum this offseason, DeVonta Smith. The former Crimson Tide wide receiver won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama and won two national championships.

He holds all the major receiving career records, including receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Smith is coming off of a Super Bowl-winning season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams says it’s his first time working out with Smith. 

“He’s a different type of human, he’s a true gladiator,” says Williams of Smith. “He’s in his own category, just because the way he operates in day-to-day life. A lot of people wouldn’t understand or believe someone even operates like that, from us working out at five o’clock in the morning. Instead of running after we get done working out, because your body’s already hot, he relaxes right after and turns his body back on when the sun is at its peak.”

Williams says the biggest thing he learned from his workout with Smith is attacking adversity.

“We go run on the track or get work in the field, noon or 11:30 in the morning, when the sun’s right above your head, just because he likes to attack adversity,” says Williams of Smith. “That’s pretty much a lot of what I learned in that amount of time, to just attack adversity. Adversity is always going to strike. It’s about how you respond to it, and we punch in adversity straight in the mouth.”

Although he respects the hell out of Smith, WIlliams is making it clear he wants to conquer all of the receiver’s records at Alabama. 

“All the records,” says Williams while smiling. “All that.”