Latest news with #RyanWilliams
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Ryan Williams Dishes On Being Named NCAA Football 26 Cover Athlete And How It's A Dream Come True
Ryan Williams is the newest cover athlete of NCAA College Football 26. The Alabama Crimson Tide star wide receiver — alongside Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — will don the cover of the popular video game series, as EA Sports announced on Monday. The 18-year-old is coming off of a sensational freshman season — he played his first year as a 17-year-old after re-classifying to start in 2024 — in which he posted 48 receptions for 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Williams says it's a "surreal" moment considering he grew up playing the game, including NCAA Football 14, which he played recently before the series made a return last year with NCAA College Football 25. "I was surprised, but it was one of those moments where the work has finally paid off," says Williams in a one-on-one interview. "After this past season, like in my eyes, I had a good season, and a lot of people agree with that. But you're always harder on yourself, I left some things out on the table, and as soon as the season ended, I'm like, 'What can I do to make this upcoming season (better)?' I'm not even thinking about the external things like being a first-team All-American. When I got the text about being a cover athlete, it was like, 'Was it that good?' I can only imagine with all the work that I've put in this off season, what this season can be like." Williams says he'll be meeting with the EA team soon to pitch ideas and help with the marketing and promotion of the game, which will likely be released in July. Last year's game — the first release for the game in 11 years — is the best-selling sports game in United States history and finished 2024 as the second-best selling game of the year. "1000%," says Williams when asked if this is a dream come true. "As a kid playing NCAA. I remember NCAA 14 being the last one and I was hurt. Before I came to school, I bought an Xbox 360 just so I could by NCAA 14 so I could keep playing it until '25 came out. It's crazy." Williams is obviously a standout on the football field. It's just about unheard of for a 17-year-old to emerge as the go-to receiver for one of the most prestigious college football programs in the country, but the 6-foot receiver did just that. He was named Alabama Mr. Football — given to the top high school player in the state — two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023 and was considered one of the top two wide receivers in the nation in the class of 2024. He's considered one of the top Heisman Trophy candidates entering the 2025 season and makes it clear he'd like to become the first player from the state of Alabama to win the award as a member of the Crimson Tide. "Winning the Heisman, that would be an honor and a blessing, just because I walk by our Heisman Trophy winners every single day and we've never had one from Alabama at the University of Alabama," says Williams. "That's crazy to me. I'm from Alabama, so you know that that would be awesome to be able to represent my state and my school. That would be something, the Fred Biletnikoff Award, the best receiver, All-American, anything that I can conquer along the way of winning that national championship. That's what I want to do." Williams is obviously already a star on the field and he's considered one of the two best receivers -- along with Smith — in college football. He had five touchdowns in his first four games, including the epic game-winning touchdown catch against Georgia. However, he's winning off of the field just as much as he's winning on the field. The 18-year displays maturity beyond his years and his positive personality — he's always smiling — makes him extremely marketable. Williams already has a $2.7 million NIL valuation, ranking No. 15 among all young stars. He's already had deals with Fortnite, Wingstop, Uber, NASCAR and is one of the faces of Hollister, the clothing brand. For context, Williams just turned 18 years old in February. He still has at least two more years at Alabama and if he enters the draft after three years, he'll do so at the age of 20. He also has a podcast focusing on Alabama football — with co-hosts and fellow teammates Jaylen Mbakwe & Dre Kirkpatrick Jr — called the "New Wave" podcast which has over 60K subscribers across social media platforms. The university helps him produce the program. "I remember Coach Saban, when he was here, one of the first things that I asked him after I committed — because I committed my freshman year in high school to Alabama — I was like, 'Hey, will I have an opportunity to express myself, can I do a podcast or something like that?' He was like, 'Yeah, we have the opportunity with all the support that we have here at Alabama. Williams is already one of the most successful player entrepreneurs and businessmen by the age of 18 — and he's only going to continue to grow his brand as his production and his on-field play grows during his career at Alabama. "I didn't know that it was going to grow into what it is now," says Williams of the podcast. "But just everyone that I meet, I always try to leave an imprint of who I am as an individual. Just being positive and smiling, lighting up a room, that's always what I try to do. I get to be myself and express who I am, and connect with different athletes, with different people, and just grow as an individual. Just show what's possible. I'm super thankful for everyone that's behind me, from my family to the Bama family." The Alabama native says the original goal of the podcast was to get the YouTube plaque for 100,000 likes, but now he wants a greater impact beyond just numbers. "When we first started, we wanted the YouTube plaque, 100,000 likes, that was the original (plan). Let's just shoot for that. As we've been going is, I definitely feel like we can't put a number on it just because I feel like we have a greater impact than just numbers. What it is for us now is just trying to impact as many people as possible, because I feel like that's what I'm here for." We'll see how Williams continues to develop as a player in 2025, but it's clear the sky is the limit for the Crimson Tide star wide receiver.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Florida State vs Bethune-Cookman weather updates: Tallahassee Regional game delayed
Florida State vs Bethune-Cookman weather updates: Tallahassee Regional game delayed Show Caption Hide Caption Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams on cover of EA Sports College Football '26 EA Sports chose Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams to be on the cover of College Football '26. We talk to the athletes about what this moment means to them. Games at the Tallahassee Regional in the NCAA baseball tournament will have to wait — at least for now. No. 9 seed Florida State's opening-round game against Bethune-Cookman went into a weather delay in the third inning on Friday with the score tied at 2-2 after lightning was detected in the area. If the weather delay is in effect for an extended period, it could make for a long night at the Tallahassee Regional, as Northeastern and Mississippi State are set to play after Florida State-Bethune Cookman wrap up. The game started at 3 p.m. ET, and went into the weather delay just over an hour later around 4 p.m. ET. Here's what to know of the weather delay at the Tallahassee Regional: Florida State vs Bethune-Cookman baseball weather delay This section will be updated. Florida State's game against Bethune-Cookman on Friday went into a weather delay during the third inning, as lightning was detected near the Tallahassee Regional. The weather delay went into effect just over an hour after the game started, with the two teams tied at 2-2 in the third inning. No updates have been relayed from Florida State yet regarding when play will resume, but it's looking like the Tallahassee Regional is in for a long night, especially as Northeastern and Mississippi State are still scheduled to play on Friday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Is Kalen DeBoer in EA Sports 'College Football 26?' Yes, along with these Alabama football coaches
Alabama football fans will not only be able to play as Ryan Williams and other Crimson Tide players in EA Sports' upcoming "College Football 26." They will have certain Alabama football coaches watching from the sideline. Alabama football confirmed that head coach Kalen DeBoer, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack will each be in the latest EA Sports "College Football 26" video game, which will be released July 10. Williams is a cover athlete for the latest edition of the game, along with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The deluxe edition cover of the game includes Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Penn State coach James Franklin, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, Ohio State coach Ryan Day, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham. EA Sports "College Football 26" will be released July 10 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@ or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football coaches in EA Sports 'College Football 26'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State vs. Texas move to Sunday primetime blocked by Longhorns, Fox exec says
Ohio State vs. Texas move to Sunday primetime blocked by Longhorns, Fox exec says Show Caption Hide Caption Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams on cover of EA Sports College Football '26 EA Sports chose Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams to be on the cover of College Football '26. We talk to the athletes about what this moment means to them. There has been plenty of discussion around the time for the season opener between Ohio State and Texas, and the Longhorns ultimately determined it. The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch will kickoff the 2025 season in one of the most highly anticipated Week 1 games. When it was announced the game would be on Fox, the belief was the game would kick off at noon ET as part of the network's "Big Noon Saturday." The gametime was confirmed Thursday. The timeslot has been widely disapproved of by Buckeyes fans, so much that an Ohio lawmaker introduced legislation to prevent Ohio State from playing early afternoon games. Understanding the implications of the matchup, Ohio State reportedly tried to move the game to Sunday − with no NFL − for a primetime kickoff. However, Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill said Texas blocked the move. 'There was a deal in place between Fox and Ohio State to move the game to Sunday night,' Mulvihill told The Athletic. 'We felt like Week 1 prior to NFL kickoff gave us an opportunity to look at sort of an alternate scenario, and then Texas exercised their contractual right to keep the game on Saturday, which is completely their right. I can understand why they would take that position, but we did work with the school to try to come up with a different scenario and get the game to Sunday." Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte confirmed to ESPN he vetoed the decision, citing the short week it would create for the Longhorns. Texas plays San Jose State in Week 2 at noon ET. Noon kickoffs have drawn the ire for Ohio State fans. When Fox debuted "Big Noon Saturday," the network could air a premier matchup in the first timeslot of the day as ESPN and CBS typically aired their top game in the late afternoon and evening. It's worked for ratings, but at the cost of people attending the game. Fans argue the early kickoff times force them to wake up earlier in the morning and give them less time to tailgate, in addition to losing the atmosphere that night games provide. Ohio State has been a consistent College Football Playoff contender, and thus has made it an easy choice for Fox to pick for the noon timeslot. Five of Ohio State's eight home games during the regular 2024 season were at noon, including the last six games of the regular season. The Buckeyes are also confirmed to have another Fox noon kickoff in the regular season finale at Michigan on Nov. 29, which is the rivalry's traditional time.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
When does 'College Football 26' come out? Release date, cover athletes for EA Sports game
EA Sports' "College Football 26," the next installment in the revived college football video game franchise, will soon release. The video game company revealed in April that "College Football 26" will come out in July. "College Football 25," which was the franchise's return after an 11-year hiatus, was the top-selling video game of 2024 and became the best-selling sports game in U.S. history, according to USA TODAY. Here's everything to know about the release of "College Football 26." "College Football 26" comes out July 10, according to EA's website. "College Football 26" will be available to play on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on July 10. The MVP bundle of "College Football 26" and "Madden 26" allows buyers to have three-day early access, meaning those who buy the bundle will be able to play the college football video game July 7. The standard edition of College Football 26 costs $69.99. The deluxe edition costs $99.99. Fans can pre-order "College Football 26" on the EA Sports website or at any local or online retailers that sell the game. The MVP bundle can be pre-ordered for $149.99. The bundle comes with the following features: Deluxe edition of EA Sports "College Football 26" and "Madden 26." Three-day early access. 4600 Madden points. Madden Ultimate Team and College Ultimate Team elite item. Dynasty skill points. Road to Glory skill points. Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and Alabama receiver Ryan Williams are the cover athletes for EA Sports "College Football 26." The two players will be on the cover of the standard edition. However, the deluxe edition will feature them and several stars, mascots and coaches from the past and present, including former cover stars Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow, as well as Kirby Smart, Ryan Day and the Oregon Duck. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'College Football 26': Release date, prices, cover athletes and more
