Alabama Heisman Trophy candidate Ryan Williams has been working out with Eagles star WR
Alabama Heisman Trophy candidate Ryan Williams has been working out with Eagles star WR Alabama Heisman Trophy candidate Ryan Williams has been working out with Eagles' star wide receiver, and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith
Iron sharpens Iron in the NFL, and no university pumps out more diamonds than the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ryan Williams was the best freshman in America last season, and he'll enter 2025 as a bona fide Heisman Trophy candidate.
Pressure burst pipes, and with Williams looking to avoid the Sophomore slump, he's down in Tampa, Florida, working with the greatest Crimson Tide pass catcher in school history, Eagles star DeVonta Smith.
Last season, Williams was one of five finalists for the Alexander Award, presented to the most outstanding freshman in college football.
Williams burst onto the scene in his first year of collegiate action, leading the Crimson Tide in receiving yards (857) and receiving scores (8) while ranking second in receptions (45), tied for second in the SEC for receiving touchdowns. Williams ranked sixth in the conference for receiving yards, yards per game, and yards per reception with a 19.0 yards per catch mark.
Smith joined a short list of elite players after winning the Super Bowl.
By catching a 46-yard touchdown from quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles' wide receiver became the first player drafted from Alabama to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl game. Smith also became the fifth player and the first wide receiver in history to win the Heisman Trophy, a college football national title, and a Super Bowl championship. Alabama produced four Heisman Trophy-winners during Nick Saban's head coaching career, but Smith is the first Crimson Tide alum to complete this historic trifecta.
Smith is also the Alabama record-holder in three critical categories. He finished his collegiate career with 235 total receptions, 3,965 receiving yards, and 46 receiving touchdowns.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SEC Blue Blood Accused of Tampering With SMU QB Kevin Jennings
SEC Blue Blood Accused of Tampering With SMU QB Kevin Jennings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In a college football world where player loyalty is under constant siege, the latest bombshell out of Dallas is hitting Mustang fans where it hurts. Advertisement According to On3's Billy Embody, the Alabama Crimson Tide, yes, that Alabama, allegedly tried to lure SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings into the transfer portal this offseason. The move, if true, would represent a stunning case of potential tampering by a national powerhouse targeting one of college football's most electric young quarterbacks. The speculation caught fire after Jennings' name was notably absent from the Manning Passing Academy list, despite his breakout 2024 season. Alabama's Ty Simpson wasincluded, a curious detail that Embody called out on social media. 'Alabama tried to recruit Kevin Jennings into the transfer portal to take over for Milroe, but sure, Ty Simpson deserves a notable mention over Kevin Jennings,' Embody wrote. Jennings, the 6-foot dual-threat phenom from Dallas, is coming off a jaw-dropping campaign in which he threw for 3,245 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for another 354 yards and five scores. More importantly, he led the Mustangs to an 11-3 record, an ACC Championship appearance, and their first-ever College Football Playoff berth. His return was expected to catapult SMU into the national conversation once again in 2025. Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) throws the ball during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Carchietta-Imagn Images Instead, fans are left wondering: Did Alabama try to take that future away? Advertisement While Jennings reaffirmed his commitment to SMU just days before their playoff loss to Penn State, questions now loom about how widespread these types of backdoor recruitment efforts truly are. Jennings has not directly commented on the report, but his actions speak volumes. Still, in today's Wild West of NIL deals and unchecked transfer portal manipulation, such stories are becoming all too common. Power programs like Alabama, equipped with deep-pocketed boosters and national brands can, and often do, turn Group of Five stars into targets. This isn't the first time Alabama has faced such accusations either. Just last year, the Tide were reportedly linked to Miami (OH) kicker Graham Nicholson before those whispers faded from the headlines. If these allegations hold water, the NCAA may soon find itself under renewed pressure to implement stricter tampering rules, though enforcement remains a pipe dream to many. Advertisement For SMU fans, the message is clear: Kevin Jennings stayed true. But the vultures are circling, and college football's transfer culture shows no signs of slowing down. Related: ESPN analyst has words for SMU Football's playoff credibility Related: SMU Football Makes Underrated Hire After Playoff Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SMU's Rhett Lashlee Admits the College Football Playoff Made an Error
SMU's Rhett Lashlee Admits the College Football Playoff Made an Error originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The SMU Mustangs made the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff after losing a closely-contested ACC championship against Clemson. However, there was one team Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee says should've gotten in. Advertisement SMU clinched the last spot over Alabama in the playoff, resulting in weeks of debate across college football. Many wondered if more teams meant a more problematic outcome for the Playoff Committee. Lashlee feels SMU and Alabama should've both been included in the postseason. But if that's the case, who gets left behind? 'Well, I felt like we deserved to be in but after we came up short 12 hours before in that ACC championship game with Clemson," Lashlee said in an interview with The Next Round. "I cannot say I felt great with the way it was shaping up to be either us or Alabama, which I'm not sure that's the way it should've shaped up. I think maybe we both should've been in.' Advertisement SMU ended the regular season with a top ten ranking at 11-1. Their only loss was to BYU in non-conference play. But the loss to Clemson was followed by a 38-10 Playoff defeat to Penn State in Happy Valley. Related: SMU Football Faces Backlash After Team GPA Under Rhett Lashlee Surfaces As for Alabama, they will have another chance to prove themselves as a worthy postseason contender in 2025. At 9-3, the late-season loss to Oklahoma killed off any chance of sneaking into the playoff. Under Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide had three wins against ranked opponents, including No. 2 Georgia. Related: Explosive Edge Rusher Hudson Woods Commits to SMU Football SMU hopes to repeat the magic of last year in a wide open ACC. The game to watch will be a title game rematch at Clemson on Oct. 18. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rams Head Coach Addresses Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams' Pairing
Rams Head Coach Addresses Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams' Pairing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay had strong words when asked about the pairing of former New York Jets wideout Davante Adam and his Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Matthew Stafford. Advertisement The 37-year-old quarterback appeared in 16 games for the Rams during the 2024 season, throwing for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading Los Angeles into the postseason. The former Georgia Bulldog is entering his fifth season under head coach Sean McVay and 16th of his NFL career since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. NFL veteran Davante Adams, 32, signed with the Rams in the offseason after he was released by the Jets. Adams finished last season with 85 receptions for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns despite playing with multiple starting quarterbacks. He has recorded 1,000-plus receiving yards six times throughout his NFL career and has totaled 103 touchdowns. McVay's respect for Adams was evident from the start, as he highlighted the All-Pro receiver's film in a team meeting shortly after his arrival. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks Lew-Imagn Images Both veterans are proven stars — Stafford won Super Bowl LVI with McVay in February 2022, while Adams remains widely regarded as one of the NFL's premier route runners. Advertisement 'What I think is really cool to be able to witness is the respect that you can feel they have for one another,' McVay told reporters. "... Matthew's got such a great way of being able to connect and communicate. And it's the same thing with Davante. "Those guys have such a high level of understanding of what they want. ... It's been cool to watch." With both players entering the latter stages of their careers, McVay's focus remains on maximizing what they can do together — and looking to build on last year's playoff success. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
