Alabama football’s A-Day is supposed to be the appetizer before the fall feast. It’s a chance for fans to get a sneak peek of what’s cooking in Tuscaloosa. But this year? The pot got stirred without the main ingredient. Ryan Williams, the Tide’s rising star receiver, didn’t suit up. No helmet, no shoulder pads, no reps. Just straight sidelines.
Now look, folks started speculating immediately. Was it injury? Nah. The man was out there, smiling, joking, flexing on the sideline like he was starring in his own Marvel origin story. And speaking of flexing, let’s talk about that new build. Ryan Williams didn’t just show up to A-Day—he showed out. Ryan Willams absolutely got jacked over spring break. No joke, the man looked like he got put through the Avengers combine. Shoulders poppin’, biceps bulging, traps on ten. Even though he didn’t take a snap, he still broke the internet.
Alabama’s social media posted a clip of him at practice, no pads, arms out, and fans lost their collective minds. And let’s be real: when you’re Ryan Williams, you don’t have to prove anything to anybody. After cooking SEC secondaries as a freshman, maybe he earned a day off, or he’s just preventing an injury. Some fans were side-eyeing for snubbing the spring game, while some fans didn’t mind at all; they were still busy drooling over Ryan Williams’ bulked version. Word on the street: Ryan Williams also broke a record for the ‘longest line for autograph session’ per UA Athletics. Talk about a diabolical aura.
Here’s the thing: Williams was already scary last season. 48 grabs, 865 yards, 8 touchdowns. And that was without spring reps. Without a full offseason. Just pure raw talent. Greg McElroy even said it on the Always College Football podcast. “He arrived last year in June. He didn’t have the benefit of going through that 15 padded practices in spring, didn’t have the benefit of going through an offseason program in which he’s training like a college athlete….he had to accelerate rapidly to get him up to game speed. To get him ready to be a difference-maker for the Tide. And he was able to do that in about 2 or 3 months.” Ryan Williams bodied and mossed SEC CBs and DBs without a spring practice last season. Ryan Williams is going wild now that he’s jacked and it’s full spring.
Now he’s got a full offseason under his belt. And that belt might need a new notch because homeboy added some serious muscle. Williams himself even joked last month, “I’m getting a little bigger, if y’all can’t tell.” He wasn’t lying. And this ain’t just vanity weight. It’s functional. He said it best: “My guys blocked for me, so just trying to return that favor down the field blocking.” That’s grown man talk.
With that extra strength, Williams is looking to break more tackles, run through contact, and still dust DBs with that sub-4.4 speed. He even said he’s aiming to beat Jalen Milroe’s 4.37 after their pro day. So yeah, that added muscle ain’t slowing him down. It’s just giving him extra ammo.
Internet is showering Ryan Williams with both love and Shade after the spring scrimmage buzz
When Bama’s official page dropped that A-Day practice clip, the comment section lit up like it was draft night—and not all in a good way. Some fans were quick to call out Ryan Williams for skipping the scrimmage, throwing side-eyes and questions his way, while others were too caught up thirsting over his bulked-up look to care he didn’t even touch the field.
Fans started with: “Am I tripping or did he put on some weight?” Nah, you weren’t tripping—Ryan pulled up looking like he added at least 10kg of good weight, easy. And in football, that matters. Especially for a receiver who already averaged 18 yards per catch last season and racked up nearly 400 YAC (yards after catch). Add 17-ish pounds of muscle to that? Suddenly corners can’t arm tackle him, and safeties start second-guessing open field collisions.
Not all were praises. One fan complained, “He may be a GOOD player but his c–ky attitude will keep him from being a GREAT player.” Hold up—co-ky? The same Ryan Williams who said “I think I could have done a lot better” after an 865-yard freshman season? That ain’t cockiness—that’s accountability. The kid ain’t flexing ego; he’s flexing growth. Plus, Bama’s head coach literally said, “Just taking care of him… if we asked him, he’d be out there.” Ryan was ready to suit up. The staff hit pause, not him.
NCAA, College League, USA Football 2024: Alabama vs Wisconsin SEP 14 September 14, 2024: Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams 2 warming up before the NCAA Football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. Darren Lee/CSM. Credit Image: Â Darren Lee/Cal Media Madison Wisconsin United States of America EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20240914_zma_c04_388.jpg DarrenxLeex csmphotothree293853
One fan added, “Yeah not surprised, saving it for the big games, totally understand. Also looks like he put on some weight—good for him.” That’s football IQ talking. Skipping A-Day? Smart. Why risk injury in April when you’re a projected future first-rounder already? Last year, Williams didn’t even get spring reps—he arrived in June and still managed 865 receiving yards and 8 TDs in the SEC at 17 years old. Now he’s had nine months of college-level training. Let the body recover, protect the asset, and unleash it when it actually counts.
Another fan said, “College football about to become the NBA. Dudes getting paid then gonna sit out till it’s time for their next check.” Look—Ryan isn’t load managing for a paycheck. He’s protecting the long-term investment, which includes an entire SEC gauntlet, not a spring scrimmage with walk-ons. This man played through pressure last season without a full offseason and still embarrassed UGA’s defense in Atlanta. You want him risking that for an April glorified practice?
And finally, Then one fan dropped this: “All this damn whining… this is probably the last A-Day… y’all better be glad… plus we don’t need to see what he can do lol.” Exactly. We don’t need to see it—because we already did. Six grabs for 139 yards and 2 TDs against the best defense in the country at just 17. A-Day is nothing but an extra look for guys trying to crack the two-deep. Ryan’s seat is reserved. No whining, no hiding—just smart team management, as Coach DeBoer laid out: “He might not do much the rest of the spring… just being really careful.” Translation? The Tide’s not risking the Bugatti in a parking lot demo.
Ryan Williams didn’t even need to touch the field on A-Day to hijack the conversation. The man showed up in his sleeves and stole the whole spring. While other guys were out there grinding through reps, he stood on the sideline looking like a walking “before-and-after” ad for offseason gains. And the fans? They noticed. They celebrated. They obsessed. As they should. Because this isn’t just your average sophomore campaign incoming. This is a full-on glow-up arc, complete with the weight, the work ethic, and the war-ready mindset. Ryan Williams is turning whispers into war cries and doubt into dust.
So while some folks are out here speculating about his absence, the real ones know: the man’s just loading up the cannon. And when fall hits? Somebody’s secondary is going to catch the smoke.
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