Report: Alabama 5-star WR reclassifies to 2024

Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff WriterDec 11, 2023, 11:37 AM ET

Five-star wide receiver and Alabama commit Ryan Williams is reclassifying into 2024 and will sign in February, according to a report from On3.

Williams (No. 9 in the 2024 ESPN 300), who plays for in-state Saraland High School, committed to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide on Oct. 8, 2022.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Williams, a teammate of future Texas quarterback K.J. Lacey (No. 60 in 2025 ESPN 300), caught 72 passes for 1,324 yards and 19 touchdowns for a team that went 14-1 this season.

Williams will be the third five-star for Alabama in this cycle, joining cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe (No. 2 in 2024 ESPN 300) and quarterback Julian Sayin (No. 3 in 2024 ESPN 300). The program hasn’t had a five-star wide receiver sign since Shazz Preston (No. 16 overall) in 2022.

The Crimson Tide had two of the top three wide receivers in the 2025 class — Williams and Jaime Ffrench Jr. (No. 14 in 2025 ESPN 300) of Mandarin High School (Florida).

For an offense that threw for 228.5 yards a game (ninth in SEC and 60th in the FBS) on the way to winning the SEC title and earning a berth in the College Football Playoff opposite Michigan in the Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day, Williams should provide an immediate impact. Isaiah Bond (621 receiving yards) and Jermaine Burton (777 receiving yards) lead the team this year with 44 and 35 receptions, respectively.

With the start of the early signing period looming on Dec. 20, Alabama’s 2024 class is ranked fifth in the nation.