BREAKING: Five-star WR Confirms commit to Alabama over Texas, Florida State, LSU, and Texas A&M….
The Alabama wide receiver room is going to look vastly different in 2024 than it did a season ago, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, a lot of the faces are different. Leading receiver Jermaine Burton is off to the NFL, while second-leading receiver and Iron Bowl hero Isaiah Bond transferring across the conference to Texas. In addition, starter Malik Benson transferred to Florida State, and Ja’Corey Brooks, another contributor, is now at Louisville.
Alabama’s leading returning wide receiver is Kobe Prentice, a junior who’s played meaningful snaps since his freshman season, but only had 314 receiving yards a season ago.
In addition to the new faces, the system in which Alabama’s receivers will play in is different as well. The Crimson Tide passing game has been less dynamic the past few seasons, and Alabama hasn’t had a 1,000-yard wide receiver since Bryce Young’s Heisman season in 2021.
That’s poised to change with Kalen DeBoer heading up the offense, along with offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, completing a brilliant staff around the passing game
At Washington last season, that trio helped coach an offense that had a nearly-5,000-yard quarterback — first round NFL Draft pick Micahel Penix Jr. — as well as two 1,000-yard wide receivers — Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk. Odunze, Polk, and Washington’s third-leading receiver Jalen McMillan, where all drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.
So it’s safe to say this staff knows what it’s doing with the passing game. That includes bringing over Germie Bernard, a Washington receiver who had over 400 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore last season, over to Alabama to likely man a starting position out wide.
Alongside Prentice and Bernard, Kendrick Law is the third presumed starter. Law is an electric athlete, and can be used in a variety of gadget-like plays, similar to someone like Deebo Samuel of the 49ers. The staff has raved about Law all spring and summer, but entering his junior season, he has just 238 career receiving yards. He’s possibly the fastest player on the team, and is a prime breakout candidate with the way DeBoer and his staff could utilize him.
Then, there’s the wildcard of the group, true freshman Ryan Williams. From in-state Saraland High School, Williams was a 5-star talent in the 2025 recruiting class, but reclassified to 2024, where he remained a 5-star. He’s heralded as one of the best receivers to come out of the state of Alabama since Julio Jones, and the film and numbers back it up.
The question with Williams since to be less of ‘if’ he becomes a star but more ‘when.’ There’s no doubt among anyone that he’ll be a high-level college football player, but at just 17 years old, the transition could prove difficult. DeBoer has spoken highly of Williams’ maturity since arriving in the summer, and if he puts it together sooner than expected, it’ll add a dangerous weapon to this Crimson Tide receiving room.
There are a number of other wide receivers that could find their way into the rotation, but after the top three, it’s a whole lot of inexperience and youth. Players will have to compete to emerge as contributors, but there’s no shortage of talent in the room.
