Ryan Williams, Jaylen Mbakwe and Courtney Morgan Rank Alabama Greats

Alabama football's freshmen phenoms and general manager Courtney Morgan put their own individual twists on ranking Crimson Tide legends.

Alabama freshmen Ryan Williams and Jaylen Mbakwe / Obtained from Jaylen Mbakwe's X/Twitter

26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt is attributed with the phrase "comparison is the thief of joy," but in today's sports world, ranking and comparing athletes and teams on a current and all-time scale is practically second nature.

Alabama football is a hot subject in the rankings community of late, as legendary Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban retired on Jan. 10. Listing Saban's best games, players and moments have been a common theme among Alabama fans over the past few months.

On Wednesday, Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan, freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams and freshman cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe each put their own twist on ranking the best players to ever step onto what is now called "Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium."

Morgan was asked the question by Mbakwe during the two freshmen's second-ever episode of the "New Wave Podcast." Morgan explained that he was going to "show [his] age with this," as Saban-only (2007-2023) players weren't his only choices. Additionally, he explained his reason for player placement for some but not all of them.

Courtney Morgan's Five Greatest Alabama Players

1. Quarterback Joe Namath: "He was a baller, but off the field, he was ahead of his time. I have a picture of Joe Namath with the mink coat on the sideline. He was a brand before it was called a brand: Broadway Joe."
2. Linebacker Derrick Thomas: "My favorite. I got his picture in my office. Not only was he one of my all-time favorite Alabama players but NFL players too. I wore his number in high school."
3. Defensive back Antonio Langham
4. Defensive lineman Marcell Dareus: "A dog. I watched him single-handedly take off some heads, especially that game against Texas when he put the quarterback out."
5. Wide receiver Julio Jones

Williams, a 17-year-old wide receiver, has not only taken Alabama, but the entire nation by storm with his performance over the first two games of his collegiate career. Instead of ranking Alabama greats regardless of their position, Williams stuck with his own, including a somewhat surprising final pick. Like, Morgan, Williams gave a reason for a couple of his placements.

Ryan Williams' Five* Greatest Alabama Wide Receivers

1. DeVonta Smith: "My dog won the Heisman, I got to give it to him. But don't think I'm not coming for you..."
2. Jameson Williams
3. Julio Jones: "He's from my city. He's an animal. A straight dog."
4. Calvin Ridley
5. Jerry Jeudy
6. "Matter of fact, I've got Ryan Williams."

After Williams finished his list, Mbakwe, who has earned many snaps in Alabama's first two games despite being one of the youngest in a loaded cornerback room, explained that he didn't want to stick to Crimson Tide legends from his position. However, three of his five selections are cornerbacks. Unlike Morgan and Williams though, Mbakwe didn't give reasons for his placements, but he also didn't assign a number to them.

Jaylen Mbakwe's Five Greatest Alabama Players

• Marlon Humphrey
• Pat Surtain II
• Kool-Aid McKinstry
• Bryce Young
• Tua Tagovailoa

Mbakwe assured that he had "like three top-5s" and players like Ha Ha Clinton Dix, Landon Collins and Mark Ingram are definitely in the conversation.

After 18 National Championships and 460 players drafted into the National Football League, is it possible to determine a definitive ranking for the five greatest Alabama players of all time?