Auburn, Texas, LSU, and Texas A&M all made efforts, but Alabama ultimately succeeded in securing 5-star wide receiver Ryan Williams Jr.

freshman, who reclassified from 2025 to the 2024 recruiting cycle, powered No. 4 Alabama to a thrilling 41-34 win over No. 2 Georgia with a six-yard, 177-yard, one-touchdown showing — his one touchdown being a ridiculous, leaping, pirouetting score to give Alabama the lead again with 2:30 remaining.

Williams has become a household name overnight, but he’s not a true stranger to recruitniks. A five-star recruiting prospect, Williams accounted for over 4,600 all-purpose yards and 65 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Saraland High School in Alabama, and even after he reclassified from 2025 he ranked as the No. 8 prospect and No. 3 receiver in the 2024 class, behind only Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman at the position in what can reasonably be called the best same-cycle receiver class in the modern era.

What Williams did Saturday night reinforced why DeBoer quickly prioritized landing the Saraland five-star receiver after he landed in Tuscaloosa and took over the Alabama program. Williams, the only two-time Mr. Football winner in Alabama high school football history, had once been committed to Alabama but decommitted after Saban’s surprise January retirement. Auburn went all-in, trying to get Williams to complete a star-studded receiver class that also included five-star Cam Coleman and four-star Perry Thompson. Williams’ father, Ryan Sr., even played football at Auburn. Texas, LSU and Texas A&M heavily pursued, too.

Here’s how the flirtation with each of those schools went in the window between Williams’ Alabama decommitment and recommitment, and how the Tide were able to sew things up.