Why Ryan Williams' commitment is significant for the new Alabama football head coach.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Welcome into Bama Central's Just a Minute alongside Blake Beiler.
00:04 I'm Katie Windham and Blake, there was just a couple things going on last night.
00:07 If you cover Alabama athletics, obviously Alabama beat Auburn in basketball.
00:11 But right before all that madness happened was Ryan Williams announcing his
00:16 commitment to the Crimson Tide, Kalen O'Bour's first big get.
00:19 And then right after the basketball game ended,
00:22 he announced that he was shutting down his recruitment.
00:24 He's fully committed to Alabama after being committed to them in the past, but
00:28 leaving his recruitment open, decommitting, and
00:30 then obviously recommitting last night.
00:32 Just what does this commitment mean for Alabama and for
00:36 Kalen O'Bour as he's kind of getting his feet under him recruiting here in the South?
00:41 >> I mean, you mentioned it already, it's his first kind of big recruiting win in
00:46 his time that he's been on the job.
00:48 And to this point, the biggest wins he had really had other than a couple
00:52 transfers from his old school, were just getting the guys to stay and to buy in.
00:57 But this is the first big win he's had over an opposing team, and
01:02 it's a player that is kind of a can't miss prospect.
01:05 I mean, everyone that's watched Ryan Williams play and
01:08 that has covered him over his high school career knows how elite of a player he is.
01:13 I went to the 6A state title game down the street in Bryant-Denny Stadium,
01:18 where he had I think 10 or 11 catches for 230 yards.
01:21 He had four touchdowns, it felt like every time he touched the ball,
01:25 he was gonna score.
01:26 That's just the kind of player he is.
01:28 So I think for Alabama fans, that has to give you a level of confidence in
01:32 Kalen DeBoer and the staff and their ability to recruit.
01:35 Ryan Williams is an in-state kid.
01:38 Kalen DeBoer didn't have a relationship with him necessarily.
01:43 None of the coaching staff, aside from a few of the guys that were retained,
01:47 may have even known Ryan Williams or talked to him.
01:50 And those guys that stayed were Freddie Roach, defensive line coach, and
01:55 guys that weren't his receivers coach.
01:58 Holman Wiggins, who had a good relationship with him.
02:00 We know Javaris Robinson had a good relationship with him, and
02:03 he's off to Georgia.
02:04 So the fact that Kalen DeBoer and the staff was able to foster a relationship
02:09 with him strong enough to get him committed before he even takes all of
02:12 his visits.
02:12 I mean, he had visits planned to Texas and Auburn.
02:16 Auburn was making a really strong push for him, and
02:19 he still ends up committed to Alabama before any of that can even happen.
02:22 So I think just the recruiting ability of the staff,
02:25 you have to have a lot more confidence in now.
02:29 And I've seen some people make the comparison of Julio Jones and
02:34 his commitment to Nick Saban in 2008.
02:37 And how a five-star in-state receiver kind of set the tone for
02:42 Saban's ability to recruit and his staff's ability to recruit as that went on.
02:46 That could be kind of what we're seeing here with Ryan Williams and
02:50 a five-star in-state player who chooses to go to Alabama in spite of Nick Saban's
02:55 retirement with the new staff.
02:57 And that just instills a lot of confidence in the staff's ability to recruit and
03:01 to beat out high-level programs as they continue to get these rosters set and
03:07 continue to maybe even lock down some other recruits that have decommitted since
03:11 Nick Saban's retirement.
03:13 >> Yeah, and I think it also shows the appeal of the offensive style that
03:17 Kalen DeBoer runs and Ryan Grubb.
03:20 But this is an offense that Ryan Williams wants to come play in.
03:23 And like you said with the Julio Jones comparison,
03:25 that was a big get for Saban early on.
03:27 And I think this is a big get and a big sign for Alabama fans that Kalen DeBoer and
03:31 his staff are going to be able to recruit the state,
03:33 are gonna be able to recruit the south.
03:34 And a guy that frankly is gonna probably start right away for
03:39 Alabama on this team next year with a lot of the receivers that lost and
03:41 will be a big piece of the crimson tide moving forward.
03:44 But that will wrap up today's Just a Minute.
03:46 Thank you so much for watching.
03:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]