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Alabama football WR Ryan Williams hopeful to work out with former UA Heisman winner

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Alabama football WR Ryan Williams hopeful to work out with former UA Heisman winner

Alabama football freshman Ryan Williams would like nothing more than to make a major impact this fall as a dynamic wide receiver for the Crimson Tide. And to that end, he’d like to put in some workout time with someone who’s already done just that, and much more.

Williams said he’s been in touch with former Alabama star DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the 2020 Heisman Trophy with one of the greatest receiving seasons in college football history (1,856 yards, 23 touchdowns).

“I’d love to work something out with him, but nothing is for sure yet,” Williams said Saturday at Hillcrest High, where he and Alabama running back Justice Haynes conducted the Rising Tide youth football camp. “So, we’ll see.”

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If it’s going to happen sooner rather than later, the window will still be open for a month or so, as Eagles veterans don’t report for training camp until July 23. From the standpoint of mentorship, Williams couldn’t pick a better workout partner than Smith, who caught a game-winning TD pass in a national title game against Georgia as a freshman, then developed into the best receiver in the college game before winning another national title as a senior during the COVID-19 season of 2020.

Smith lacked size at the college level, and even more so as a pro, but has overcome it with explosiveness and flawless technique. Williams, too, isn’t the biggest of receivers at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, but also possesses rare speed and explosiveness. Williams enrolled at Alabama earlier this month and has been impressive in summer workouts thus far, according to Haynes.

“He works his butt off every day,” Haynes said. “He knows his plays, and I think he’s going to be a special player.”

Under retired coach Nick Saban, Alabama signed an impressive succession of wide receivers who made a major impact as freshmen, including Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, and Calvin Ridley. As a five-star recruit joining the program just as a new, pass-heavy offense is being installed, Williams could be next. But even Smith’s career suggests that nothing is guaranteed for Williams; despite his 2017 CFP heroics, Smith caught eight passes as a freshman.

Williams said he spent the month of May, following his graduation from Saraland High, responding to a daily 6:30 a.m. alarm to work out with his father. That included a morning weight room session and speed work in the afternoons, which helped him adjust when he reported for Alabama summer workouts earlier this month.

“I wasn’t going to sit around and collect dust,” he said.

He wouldn’t collect any with Smith either, who is known to have a relentless work ethic and good practice habits. Whether he can carve out time with the former Alabama Heisman winner or not, however, Williams said he’ll go into the 2024 season without placing too many expectations on himself.

“I’m just focused on being the best player I can be, so that I can do whatever the team needs,” he said.

Alabama opens the season at home against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.

Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.

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