Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer explains why he saw the Ryan Williams storm coming from a mile away

The Alabama Crimson Tide had plenty of questions surrounding their WR room heading into the 2024 season.

With transfers, a few holdovers, and one unknown freshman, the team had to learn some lessons against the USF Bulls , but through two games, it's clear that Ryan Wlliiams is going to be a star.

According to HC Kalen DeBoer, the Ryan Williams breakout has been coming for a while:

Ryan Williams' Breakout Surprises no one at UA

"You know, you get a little bit of time in the summer to work with the guys. It's very minimal, but there were some hints of it at that time," DeBoer said of Williams. "And then, you know, as fall camp went on, as the first week or two happened, you can see it wasn't just playmaking, but the ability to grasp mentally and figure it out, well beyond what you'd expect from most freshmen."

What's even more impressive about Williams is that he's far from any true freshman. It would be impressive if Williams was putting up the numbers he has the past two weeks in high school, you know where the 17-year-old phenomenon is supposed to be playing.

Instead, he has allocated 207 receiving yards and three TDs for the Tide, against D1 competition,

"I think he's impressed not just the staff, but you know, his teammates, with his maturity level, especially considering he's supposed to be a senior in high school," added DeBoer. "Which is really crazy. He, you know, just goes about each day. There really haven't been highs, there really haven't been lows. He's just been really consistent, and that's, you know, plays he's making. It's the business-like mindset that he goes to work with. So he's got, you know, got off to a really good start here in the first two games for us."

The first real test of Williams' very young career is set to come this weekend. Wisconsin doesn't necessarily have the best corners, but a Big-10 opponent on the road in a raucous environment is far from normal for Williams.

We'll see how he handles it on Saturday.

Related: Alabama Crimson Tide set to take one step back but two steps forward regarding recent injuries