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Chris Lowe, ESPN Senior Writer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — All Ryan Williams thought after making the most important catch of his young college football career.
“I can’t cope,” he said late Saturday night.
In the open field, few defenders tackled Alabama’s dynamic freshman wide receiver, and it was his 75-yard touchdown catch — complete with an electric spin move and dash into the end zone — that helped No. 4 Alabama hold off No. 2 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. A thrilling 41-34 win over Georgia.
In real time, Williams joked that the spin move seemed “in slow motion.” But when he saw it on the stadium video screen, he said it looked a little faster.
“I just had to do my part to help us finish that game,” Williams said. “We would have come a long way. Somebody’s got to make a play.”
In a game the Crimson Tide once led 28-0, they suddenly fell behind 34-33 with just over two minutes left after a rousing Georgia rally. Williams and quarterback Jalen Milro wasted no time answering. On first down, Milro delivered the pass right where he wanted it, over Williams’ back shoulder. Once he collected it, Williams did a pirouette around Georgia defensive back Julian Humphrey and left a steam trail down the right sideline.
“Man, when I first saw him, he was this skinny kid,” Alabama linebacker Jihad Campbell said. “So you brought him to the practice field, and he’s been acting like that ever since. He’s just the one.”
As the most dynamic true freshman in college football.
Through four games, Williams has caught five touchdown passes and is averaging 28.9 yards per catch. He also made an incredible 54-yard bowling catch in the third quarter against Georgia that set up a field goal.
“He’s only going to get better, and the best thing about him is that he’s always working, always doing things to be a better player, working in the dark that everybody doesn’t see,” said Milrow, who had 374 yards and two passes. . touchdown and rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
Campbell said the poise on Alabama’s sideline, starting with coach Calen DeBoer, was never more evident than in the final minute when Georgia rumbled all the way to take the lead after trailing 30-7 at the half.
“That’s the Alabama standard, and it just filters down to the players, everybody,” Campbell said.
When Alabama’s offense returned to the field, Williams said he didn’t need to shove Milro or even give his quarterback a quick wave after Williams lined up for the play. Yes, he wanted the ball and knew Milro would find a way to get it to him.
“Nah, I don’t have to be the mailbox. He knows what’s going on,” said Williams, who finished with six catches for 177 yards and now has six catches of 40 yards or more on the season.
Clearly, there is a budding connection between Milrow and Williams.
“He knows four plus two equals six,” Williams said, referring to Miller’s number and his number, respectively. “I know four plus two equals six. The ball just has to go in the air.”
Even so, it’s rarefied air for Williams’ age. He was only 17 years old and didn’t turn 18 until February 9. When Nick Saban was named Alabama’s coach in 2007, he wasn’t even born.
As Saban watched from his suite, Alabama defeated Georgia for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings, Williams was one of two freshmen to help the Crimson Tide continue their dominance over Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.
Georgia, trying another crazy attempt to tie the score, drove to the Alabama 20 with just over a minute to play. But on first down, quarterback Carson Beck lofted a pass into the end zone that was intercepted by a leaping Zabian Brown.
Like Williams, Brown wears No. 2, and is also a true freshman.
Williams said he and Brown were playing the “EA Sports College Football” video game Friday night when Brown called the game-winning interception.
“So this morning I’m like, ‘Bro, you gonna pick one?'” Williams said. “And he was like, ‘Of course I’m going to try to do it.’ Next thing you know, he’s got the game-winning interception, I was like, ‘Man, we called it.’ I was screaming that’s how I lost my voice, because I was screaming.”
Milro laughed when asked what it says about Alabama’s program that two true freshmen would have such a big impact in a top-five matchup.
“Recruiting,” Milro said with a laugh. “Nah, one thing I can say about these guys is they work really hard, and I’m a guy working in the dark. I watch them work on their craft after practice. I watch them communicate, and they do a really good job. Continuously strives to build and recognize that they are not a finished product.
“I think it’s very important for our football team to just keep climbing.”
DeBoer and the Alabama staff worked overtime to land Williams, who was ESPN’s No. 3 overall prospect in the 2024 signing class. Williams was committed to the Crimson Tide but decommitted shortly after Saban retired.
DeBoer said he was impressed with how good Williams was after the catch.
“He’s doing it over and over again, getting the ball in his hands and making people miss and getting a lot of yards after contact,” DeBoer said.
Milrow added: “It’s important what we do from here on out, building it up. What we’re looking at now is all the work we put in this offseason, the way the coaches believed in us, and then we brought in some younger guys. We’ve all got to grow. will.”
