Ryan Williams puts pressure on himself before upcoming Alabama season

Ryan Williams was able to establish himself as a freshman sensation last season. The then 17-year-old wide receiver became a key part of Kalen DeBoer's Alabama offense.

Williams reflected on his 2024 season in an article by A to Z Sports' Zach Ragan released on Friday:

"People are going to say it was solid, good," Williams said. "I think I could have done a lot better. You know, left some plays out there. But that's part of the journey. So, you know, it was alright."

For his freshman year, Williams had a fantastic season, recording 865 yards from 48 catches and scoring eight touchdowns. Alongside the Ohio State Buckeyes' Jeremiah Smith, he represents the next generation of wide receivers who could succeed in the NFL right now if they were eligible.

However, Williams does not see what he did during the season like those outside of the Alabama program do. For Williams, this season was just the first in his journey with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He is going to get better as he develops. Williams has already shown himself to be an effective target who is an explosive playmaker. If teams can not keep up with him right now, they will struggle when Williams further develops in the years to come.

Ryan Williams on his weight gain to help blocking

If there is one thing that Ryan Williams would want to do to help his development, it is to work on his ability to block defenders. To do this, he has to gain some weight, as suggested by reports.

In the same article quoted above, Williams explained why he is gaining weight.

"Definitely, you know, I'm getting a little bigger, if y'all can tell, just a little bit," Williams said. "So, I'm just trying to impact blocking. Because my guys blocked for me, so I'm just trying to return that favor down the field blocking."

This is a move that is going to help everyone on an Alabama offense that is going to look very different from what it did last season. Williams is coming into the year as an experienced player and will be a key target once again for whoever the Alabama quarterback will be.

In addition, his extra weight will help prevent opponents from getting to his teammates. This will allow the Crimson Tide offense to use more players in receiving positions, giving the QB more options to throw to than just Ryan Williams.