logo
Alabama wide receiver named to preseason watch list for top college football award

Alabama wide receiver named to preseason watch list for top college football award

USA Today6 days ago
Per an announcement Monday afternoon, Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Maxwell Award.
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football, and is an honor that the Crimson Tide have received five times before. Those winners were A.J. McCarron (2013), Derrick Henry (2015), Tua Tagovailoa (2018), DeVonta Smith (2020), and Bryce Young (2021).
A sophomore, Williams enters the 2025 season coming off a stellar freshman campaign in which he received honors such as First Team All-SEC and Freshman All-America. Across 13 games, Williams hauled in 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, while also rushing for 48 yards and two more scores.
Williams also played a role on special teams, returning 12 punts for 120 yards, as well as two kicks for 14 yards.
A player who could be a sleeper candidate for the Heisman Trophy, is this yet another sign that the 2025 season is shaping up to be a massive one for Alabama's star wide receiver?
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin on leaving Alabama, competing at OSU, Will Howard's mentorship
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin on leaving Alabama, competing at OSU, Will Howard's mentorship

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin on leaving Alabama, competing at OSU, Will Howard's mentorship

Presumed Ohio State starting quarterback Julian Sayin recently joined On3's 'Off Script' with host Zak Herbstreit to reflect on his first year and a half in Columbus. Sayin spoke about taking on more of a behind-the-scenes role last season, using the opportunity to learn from College Football Playoff national championship-winning quarterback Will Howard. 'I think I learned a lot last year,' said Sayin. 'Learning from Will, just learned, you know, how to be a leader. He was a great leader for the offense and for the team, and, you know, I think that was definitely something I tried to learn from him. And, definitely learned a lot also from Will. You know, just learning about the preparation aspect and, you know, how much preparation goes into each week." Coming out of high school, Sayin was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the nation. He originally committed to Alabama, but after the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban, Sayin made the decision to transfer to Ohio State. In the interview, he also opened up about his thought process behind leaving Tuscaloosa and choosing to continue his journey in Columbus. 'When I ended up going to Alabama, I wanted to go play for Coach Saban," Sayin said. "And when he retired, I decided to transfer and Ohio State was just a big decision for me and I was excited to make it just because of the quarterback development history they've had with Coach Day.' 'The guys like Justin Fields, CJ Stroud come before and they've done a great job with quarterbacks and then just the talent they have at the offensive skill positions," continued Sayin. "It was definitely a great decision for me and I couldn't be happier." Sayin is still locked in a quarterback competition with Lincoln Kienholz for the starting job as the Buckeyes prepare to open their season against the Texas Longhorns on August 30. However, the redshirt sophomore carries himself with a calm confidence, shaped by last year's championship run, where he learned behind veteran Will Howard, and by the Buckeyes' storied tradition of quarterback development.

Texas tops preseason college football US LBM Coaches Poll. Odds are against finishing there.
Texas tops preseason college football US LBM Coaches Poll. Odds are against finishing there.

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Texas tops preseason college football US LBM Coaches Poll. Odds are against finishing there.

The Texas Longhorns will kick off the 2025 college football season ranked No. 1 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. But if history is any guide, No. 2 Ohio State may be better positioned to finish at the top. Sure, Texas is good bet finish No. 1. BetMGM Sportsbook gives the Longhorns the best odds (+500) to win the national championship. Last season, Texas held the top spot for three weeks and ultimately finished third behind the Buckeyes and Notre Dame. They'll also turn the quarterbacking duties over to Arch Manning, who appeared ready last season to burnish his family's legacy. Still, recent history isn't on Texas's side. No preseason No. 1 has finished the season atop the poll since Alabama did it in the 2017 season. In fact, only four teams have managed that feat in the 35-year history of USA TODAY Sports administering the Coaches Poll. Eight seasons since Alabama started and ended first Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. Winning a championship, of course, doesn't rest on what a panel of 67 head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools say in August. But since the College Football Playoff started in 2014, one of top six teams in the preseason poll has won the national championship and finished first in the poll. Here's a look at this year's top six: For the past two seasons, the team ranked No. 2 in the preseason has gone on to finish No. 1 in the final US LBM Coaches Poll. In the 2024 season, Ohio State followed a winding path to the top – helped in part by the expanded playoff format. The Buckeyes' journey included a run from the eighth seed in the playoffs to a national championship win over Notre Dame, ranked seventh in the preseason and seeded seventh in the playoffs. The path to No. 1 was a wild ride in 2024 season In the poll's last 35 years, the team ranked second in the preseason is more likely to finish first than the top-ranked team. Ten preseason No. 2 teams have ended the season at No. 1, compared to just four preseason No. 1 teams. In the past two preseason polls, both Ohio State and Michigan were ranked second behind Georgia. Where post-season No. 1 college football teams started How many college football preseason No. 1s have finished No. 1 Georgia's two No. 1 preseason rankings followed two consecutive years when the coaches panel put Alabama at the top ranking only to watch the Bulldogs - its SEC rival - finish No. 1 in the season's final poll and claim back-to-back national championships. Since USA TODAY began administering the poll in the 1991 season, the coaches' preseason No. 1s have become postseason No. 1s just four times – just over 11% of the time. Only twice have teams held the No. 1 position throughout: Florida State in 1999 and Southern California in 2004. With all of the uncertainty and change entering this season, it's worth analyzing the schools that find themselves starting in the rankings. Click here to see the season outlooks for all of the teams that begin their campaigns in the preseason poll.

Ex-NFL player convicted in Oklahoma of dog-fighting-related charges after 190 dogs seized
Ex-NFL player convicted in Oklahoma of dog-fighting-related charges after 190 dogs seized

The Hill

time2 hours ago

  • The Hill

Ex-NFL player convicted in Oklahoma of dog-fighting-related charges after 190 dogs seized

TULSA, Okla. (KNWA/KFTA) — A former NFL player and Oklahoma native has been convicted of multiple federal charges months after officials seized 190 dogs from an alleged animal fighting venture, according to court documents. LeShon Eugene Johnson, 54, of Broken Arrow, was convicted by a federal jury Friday of three counts of possession of a dog for use in an animal fighting venture, two counts of sale of a dog for use in an animal fighting venture and one count of sale, transport and delivery of a dog for use in an animal fighting venture. The conviction came at the end of a five-day jury trial. Johnson originally faced nearly two dozen dog-fighting-related charges, court records show. Officials said in a March news release that 190 'pit bull-type dogs' were seized from Johnson in October 2024. At the time, it was believed to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog-fighting case. Court documents said that Johnson ran a dog-fighting operation known as 'Mal Kant Kennels' in both Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. He pleaded guilty to state animal fighting charges in 2004 after running 'Krazyside Kennels' in Oklahoma. The district said Johnson would selectively breed 'champion' and 'grand champion' fighting dogs — those that have won between three and five fights — to produce offspring with fighting traits and abilities desired by him and others for use in dog fights. He would market and sell stud rights and offspring from winning fighting dogs to other dog fighters looking to incorporate his kennel's bloodline into their own dog-fighting operations, officials said. 'His trafficking of fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially,' the release said. Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. A sentencing date in his case has not yet been scheduled. Johnson was a running back and kick returner in the NFL for six seasons during the 1990s. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft and also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants. Before his NFL career, Johnson played for the Northern Illinois Huskies in college, and in 1993, he finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, with five first-place votes.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store