High School

Why Ryan Williams, 17-year-old Alabama football phenom, isn't still in high school

Former Saraland High School 5-star packed 3 productive seasons in before reclassifying from 2025 to 2024, enrolling early at University of Alabama

Andy Buhler

Saraland's Ryan Williams (1) scores a touchdown against Clay-Chalkville during the AHSAA Class 6A football state championship game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday December 8, 2023.
Saraland's Ryan Williams (1) scores a touchdown against Clay-Chalkville during the AHSAA Class 6A football state championship game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday December 8, 2023. / Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK

As Alabama freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams staged his emphatic entry into the top performances of the college football season on Saturday, much has been made about the freshman's age.

The 17-year-old had more than a career day to help No. 4 ranked Alabama beat No. 2 Georgia 41-34 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

What's perhaps more remarkable is he could be still doing it all at Saraland High School in Alabama.

Williams, who was born in 2007, won't have his 18th birthday until Feb. 9, 2025. He moved up a grade in high school, reclassifying from the graduating class of 2025 to 2024 after the 2023 state championship (a 31-28 loss to Clay-Chalkville) and enrolled early at Alabama in the spring.

With six catches on Saturday night, he turned in 177 receiving yards, a dazzling game-altering touchdown and made enough defenders miss to seemingly satisfy the social posting requirements of every major sports media outlet.

His cherry on top was a 75-yard touchdown reception that reclaimed Alabama's winning lead with just over two minutes left in the game where Williams adjusted to catch a deep pass from Jaden Milroe, spun around in motion, then cut back quickly enough to send two Georgia defensive backs crashing into one another as he stiff-armed and high-stepped his way into the endzone, sending the home crowd in Tuscaloosa into a frenzy.

Not to say he didn't make his mark in an abbreviated high school career.

A consensus five-star prospect, Williams was the first sophomore to ever receive the prestigious Mr. Football award in Alabama after recording 1,641 receiving yards and 24 touchdown catches with 700 rushing yards and 15 more scores on the ground.

He followed it up with 1,324 receiving yards and 19 touchdown catches as a junior along with 261 yards and seven rushing scores.

Now, he's playing his way into becoming a household name.

Through four games, he's caught 16 passes for 462 yards and five touchdowns.

His only other 100-plus-yard receiving outing came in his college debut, when he caught two passes for 139 yards in a 63-0 win over Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.

More Texas high school football Week 5:

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-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports

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Andy Buhler
ANDY BUHLER

Andy Buhler is a Portland, Oregon-based sportswriter with more than nine years of experience covering high school sports across the country. He's covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason, served on state tournament seeding committees and launched the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a journalism degree from Gonzaga.

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