Alabama star receiver Ryan Williams suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s season-opening loss at Florida State, coach Kalen DeBoer said postgame. Williams was helped off the field and taken directly to the locker room after striking his helmet on the turf following a dropped pass.
The sophomore was the intended receiver of a pass over the middle, took a hard hit from two Florida State defenders and slammed his helmet against the turf. Williams immediately grabbed the top of his helmet with both hands and stayed down until Alabama’s training staff attended to him and escorted him off the field. A flag was initially thrown for targeting, but replay overturned the call, ruling that Florida State defensive back Earl Little Jr. narrowly avoided making helmet-to-helmet contact.
Williams had five catches for 30 yards before exiting. He was also a bit hobbled earlier in the game as he hopped to the sideline on multiple occasions.
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As a true freshman in 2024, Williams made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide, earning Freshman All-America honors and second-team All-America recognition from the AFCA. He led Alabama with 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 48 catches, while also adding two rushing scores. Williams was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, made the All-SEC first team and was a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award — cementing himself as one of the nation’s brightest young stars.
Williams rated as a five-star prospect coming out of Saraland (Alabama) in the 2024 recruiting class. He ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 3 wide receiver nationally.
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