Don’t be surprised if and when you see Alabama football line up Ryan Williams in some different spots in 2025.
The Crimson Tide has the receiver versatility and depth now to not only line up him on the outside like it did in 2024 but also work him from the slot some too.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer revealed that Tuesday after the latest spring practice.
“One thing in the slot, bringing in Isaiah Horton and having more length on the outside now with Jalen Hale too, has allowed Ryan to move around to different spots,” DeBoer said. “Between he and (Germie Bernard) and really I think Isaiah can play, maybe not the slot all the time, but these guys are very versatile. They kind of have their starting points, but we can move them around. That’s really what we like to do because we want to have a very unpredictable offense. So certain guys in certain spots don’t carry over from week to week and we can utilize their strengths still.”
On passing plays, Williams lined up on the outside 289 snaps in 2024, per Pro Football Focus' charting. He only lined up in the slot 78 times over that span.
Meanwhile, Alabama used Bernard in the slot 192 times and Kendrick Law 111 times. Williams was third in lining up in the slot.
But now Law is gone, and Alabama added a receiver with size and length in Horton, the Miami transfer who’s listed at 6-4, 209 pounds. So the Crimson Tide could run a three receiver set with Horton on the outside alongside Bernard, who’s 6-1, 202 pounds, with Williams in the slot for a formidable starting trio. Add a healthy Hale back into the mix, and that gives Alabama even more options.
