'He's a veteran': Ryan Williams gives Alabama football 2025 wide receiver commits example to follow

Lotzeir Brooks isn’t surprised by Ryan Williams’ production early on for Alabama football .

The 2025 New Jersey four-star wide receiver and Crimson Tide commit said he “kind of knew” Williams was going to put on a show. And ahead of Brooks’ arrival in January as an early enrollee, he keeps a message from Williams in the back of his head.

“‘Be ready to work,’” Brooks said Williams told him. “And he just be saying that he can’t wait for me to get there.”

Brooks, Mississippi five-star Caleb Cunningham and Williams were supposed to be in the 2025 class together. Instead, Williams reclassified to the 2024 class in December, enrolled at Alabama over the summer and instantly became quarterback Jalen Milroe’s favorite target.

Through five games, Williams leads Alabama in receptions (19) and receiving yards (544). He has more touchdown catches than the rest of the Crimson Tide receiving room combined with six.

After five games, Williams was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the best receiver in college football at any position.

“Him being 17, doing his thing,” Cunningham said, “he out there playing like he’s a veteran."

It’s the kind of performance that gets Cunningham, the No. 2 wide receiver and the No. 14 player overall in the 2025 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings, fired up.

“Straight out of high school, really young, the youngest one out there just going crazy,” Cunningham said. “It’s fun to watch him play for sure. He’s a dog, he’s a playmaker, for sure. He knows how to get things done.”

What Ryan Williams' performance means for Alabama 2025 WR commits

Choctaw County High School football coach Dillon Mitchell knows Williams has caught Cunningham’s attention.

“Just with that offense that the coaches at Alabama instilled,” Mitchell said. “I think he feels that he could definitely see himself just sliding right there and having the opportunity to make plays on the same magnitude.”

Mitchell also understands that Williams’ success as a freshman doesn’t mean Cunningham will get the same attention instantly during summer workouts and fall camp. But Cunningham is eager to prove himself in Alabama’s offense as quickly as possible, the Choctaw County football coach said.

As is Brooks, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound New Jersey record-breaking and award-winning receiver who is No. 283 player in the 2025 class.

“Seeing a freshman like Ryan Williams excel on a team like that, it’s always positive,” said Humberto Ayala, Brooks’ football coach at Millville High School. “Because Brooks is a competitor, not a talker. He’s going to come in there and he knows he’s going to be going up against the elite of the elite. The kid’s going to compete. He’s going to compete. That’s all he knows to do.”

Through Williams’ highlight-reel catches and his production in Alabama’s offense, Brooks and Cunningham know two things: The Crimson Tide offense will get “their playmakers the ball” and it doesn’t matter the age of the playmaker.

“They don’t care who’s on the field,” Brooks said. “Freshman, senior, they just play who’s the best.”

It’s an offense Cunningham is ready to jump right into.

“I’m definitely ready to play with him, for sure,” Cunningham said.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 'He's a veteran': Ryan Williams gives Alabama football 2025 wide receiver commits example to follow