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.
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