Ryan Williams saves Alabama with a dramatic TD catch against Georgia

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Ryan Williams’ only thought after making the most important catch of his young college football career was simple.

“I can’t be tackled,” he said late Saturday night.

In the open field, few defenders have dealt with Alabama’s dynamic freshman receiver, and it was his 75-yard touchdown catch – complete with an electrifying spin move and a sprint into the end zone – that No. 4 Alabama did helped keep a thrilling 41-34 victory over No. 2 Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Williams joked that the real-time spin felt like “slow motion.” But when he saw it on the stadium’s video screen, he said it looked a little faster.

“I just had to do my part to help us finish the game,” Williams said. “We had gone too far. Someone had to do something.”

In a game in which the Crimson Tide once led 28-0, a furious Georgia rally suddenly found them trailing 34-33 with just over two minutes left. Williams and quarterback Jalen Milroe wasted no time in answering right back. On first down, Milroe delivered the pass exactly where he wanted: onto Williams’ back shoulder. After he made it, Williams pirouetted around Georgia defender Julian Humphrey, leaving a vapor trail along the right sideline.

“Man, when I first saw him he was a skinny kid,” Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell said. “Then you put him on the practice field and he’s been doing things like that ever since. That’s just who he is.”

Like the most dynamic true freshman in college football.

In four games, Williams has caught five touchdown passes and is averaging 28.9 yards per catch. He also had an incredible 54-yard bobble catch in the third quarter against Georgia to set up a field goal.

“He’s getting better and better, and the best thing about him is that he’s always working, always doing something to become a better player, a work that not everyone sees,” said Milroe, who passed for 374 yards and two touchdowns rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

Campbell said the attitude on the Alabama sideline, starting with coach Kalen DeBoer, was never more evident than in those final minutes when Georgia fought all the way back from a 30-7 halftime deficit to take the lead.

“That’s the standard at Alabama, and it just affects the players, everyone,” Campbell said.

As the Alabama offense trotted back onto the field, Williams said he didn’t have to nudge Milroe or give his quarterback a quick wave once Williams lined up for the play. Yes, he wanted the ball, but knew Milroe would find a way to get it to him.

“No, I don’t have to be a mailbox. He knows what’s going on,” said Williams, who finished with six catches for 177 yards and now has six catches for 40 yards or more this season.

Apparently there is a budding connection between Milroe and Williams.

“He knows four plus two equals six,” Williams said, referring to Milroe’s number, or number. “I know, four plus two equals six. The ball just has to go into the air.”

Still, that’s a rare thing for someone Williams’ age. He’s only 17 and doesn’t turn 18 until February 9. He wasn’t even born when Nick Saban was named Alabama coach in 2007.

And while Saban watched from his suite as Alabama beat Georgia for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings, Williams was just one of two rookies helping the Crimson Tide continue their championship over Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.

Georgia, attempting another mad rush to tie the score, moved to the Alabama 20 with just under a minute to play. But on first down, quarterback Carson Beck threw a pass into the end zone that a diving Zabien Brown intercepted.

Like Williams, Brown also 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 threw the game-winning interception during the game.

“So this morning I was like, ‘Bro, wanna grab a pick?'” Williams said. “And he said, ‘Of course I’ll try that.’ Next thing you know, he has the game-winning interception. I thought, ‘Man, we did it.’ I screamed. This caused me to lose my voice because I was screaming.

Milroe laughed when asked what it said about Alabama’s program that two true freshmen would make so much difference in a top-five matchup.

“Recruitment,” Milton said, laughing. “No, one thing I can say about these guys is that they work really hard, and I’m the guy who works in the dark. I see them working on their craft after training. I see how they communicate and they really do it.” It’s good to constantly try to build them and acknowledge that it’s not a finished product.

“I think that’s so important for our football team, to just continue to rise.”

DeBoer and the Alabama staff worked overtime to sign Williams, who was ESPN’s No. 3 overall prospect in the 2024 signing class. Williams had been signed to the Tide but de-signed immediately after Saban resigned.

DeBoer said he was impressed with how good Williams was after the catch.

“He does 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.

Milroe added: “It’s what we do and build on from here that matters. What we’re seeing now is all the work we’ve done this offseason, the way the coaches have believed in us, and then some of the younger guys we’ve brought in.” We just have to keep growing, all of us.”