Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer Addresses Ryan Williams’ Quiet Night in the Iron Bowl

Following Alabama’s 27- 20 Iron Bowl victory over Auburn, one of the biggest talking points among fans centered around sophomore wide receiver Ryan Williams.

Despite playing 37 of Alabama’s 73 offensive snaps, Williams did not receive a single target in the passing game, an unusually quiet night for one of Alabama’s most electrifying young players.

On Sunday, head coach Kalen DeBoer addressed the issue directly and made it clear nothing unusual was happening behind the scenes.

“He was out there,” DeBoer said. “There was really nothing to read into there, at all. I think there were opportunities where the ball could have found him. Plays where, it’s not like they’re designed specifically for him. That’s really not how a lot of our offense is.”

DeBoer pointed out that outside of certain screen calls intended to get the ball into a receiver’s hands quickly, the Tide’s pass concepts rely heavily on quarterback reads and defensive coverages.

As a result, not every play is meant for one specific wideout.

“There might be screens and things like that that are intentionally trying to get touches,” DeBoer said. “But as far as the pass concepts, just we didn’t get to him in the route or things like that.”

Quarterback Ty Simpson attempted 35 passes in the win. According to Alabama’s staff charting, Germie Bernard received 10 targets, Isaiah Horton saw six, and Lotzeir Brooks drew four, three receivers who all played slightly more snaps than Williams and found themselves in more of Simpson’s progression reads.

Still, DeBoer emphasized that Williams remains a key part of Alabama’s offense and someone they intend to get involved more consistently.

“We got to be intentional, because he’s a playmaker for us,” DeBoer continued. “The ball did find some other guys, and they made plays like you saw with Isaiah Horton. We want to continue to be intentional. Ryan does a great job for us each and every week preparing. There was no difference this week.”

As Alabama prepares for its SEC Championship showdown with Georgia, Williams remains an important weapon. One DeBoer hopes to see more involved when the Tide take the field on Saturday.