Nobody can accuse Alabama football‘s Malachi Moore of underselling touted wide receiver signee Ryan Williams.
The former five-star recruit from Saraland has a wide-open opportunity for playing time this fall, and even coach Kalen DeBoer has been effusive in his praise of Williams’ initial showing during summer workouts. Moore, for his part, has an even closer look. As a senior safety, he’s been charged with covering him, after all, and still can’t get his mind around the fact that Williams could easily have returned to high school this fall. He reclassified to join the Crimson Tide’s 2024 signing class.
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“Ryan is very mature for his age, and a lot of what he’s done in practice has been shocking to see from someone his age, do it at a high level,” Moore said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “He has the ability but he also has the brain to go with his ability. He’s as smart and knowledgeable as a young freshman could be, and even (being) a year behind age-wise. He’s definitely something I’ve never seen when it comes to Alabama and skipping a grade, going to college and performing at the next level.”
As a junior at Saraland last fall, Williams caught 19 touchdown passes among 72 receptions for 1,372 yards. And while such prolific production can’t be expected from a year-too-young SEC freshman, he’s already made believers in his ability out of teammates and coaches alike. UA is somewhat lacking in returning experience at the receiver position, despite the presence of incoming transfer Germie Bernard.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football signee Ryan Williams’ summer practices “shocking”
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