Alabama freshman Ryan Williams sheds light on "best moment ever" after signing NIL deal and modeling for clothing brand

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams is coming off an excellent freshman season, where he caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. What makes it even more impressive is that he was only 17 throughout the entire season. He does not turn 18 until February 9th, meaning he was one of the youngest players in college football this season.

As a result, Williams was offered an NIL deal with the clothing brand Hollister. He is one of the faces of the new athleisure line alongside Southern Utah basketball player Hercy Miller.

For Williams, signing with Hollister was a full-circle moment because his mom worked there while she was pregnant. He talked about telling her about his new deal.

"Before I went and flew out to Cali, I didn’t tell her what I was doing out there," Williams said via On3. "Whatever it was, I wanted to surprise her because I knew it has something to do with Hollister.

"I get back from the trip, and I sent her a couple little pictures, and she was like, "What are you doing? Where are you at?" I was like, just having fun. Then, whenever it dropped this past Friday, I sent her the link and FaceTimed her immediately because I had to get the reaction."

Ryan Williams revealed how his mom found out about his Hollister deal.

"So I FaceTimed her, and she was like, "What did you just send me?" I was like, "I think Hollister just dropped some new clothes. Can you get me, like, a hoodie or something in the men’s section?" So she goes to it and taps men’s... and it was the best moment ever. To see my mom so proud and happy, it was a full-circle moment. I was happy that we’re able to do that in the NIL space."

Ryan Williams will be big part of Alabama's offense next season

The Alabama Crimson Tide couldn't make the College Football Playoff in the first year when the 12-team format was implemented. Several losses to teams that under normal circumstances would not be competitive with the Crimson Tide led to the snub from the committee.

Heading into his second season, Ryan Williams will be expected to take on a larger role in the offense. He already had the most receiving yards as a rookie. Now that he is more proven, the coaching staff expects him to take a step forward and become one of the top receivers in college football.