Alabama Crimson Tide Football

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia outperformed Heisman hopeful Jalen Milroe on Saturday night in a historic upset of No. 1 Alabama he says could impact his career.

"Games like this change your life, you know what I mean?" Pavia said on the field after the 40-35 win. "It's all about hype nowadays, and I don't like it like that, but it's a reality of NIL and all that stuff.

"But just staying grounded, stay where my feet are and every single day, tomorrow we got to work on Kentucky."

“GAMES LIKE THIS CHANGE YOUR LIFE!”

DIEGO PAVIA AFTER UPSETTING NO. 1 ALABAMA 😤 @VandyFootball pic.twitter.com/IclRKTOjzw

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 5, 2024

Saturday night victory marked the first time Vanderbilt defeated a team ranked in the top five of the AP poll. Alabama had earned the No. 1 ranking after upsetting Georgia last week.

Vanderbilt had previously gone 0-60 against top-five opponents, according to SportRadar and the Associated Press' Teresa M. Walker. The Commodores also had not defeated Alabama, at any ranking, since 1984.

That all changed in part because of Pavia, who joined Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 season as a graduate transfer.

After beginning his college career with three JUCO seasons at the New Mexico Military Institute, Pavia spent two years with New Mexico State before arriving in Nashville.

Pavia opened his first SEC season by passing for 721 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions through four games while leading the Commodores to wins over Virginia Tech and Alcorn State.

He was similarly accurate in the biggest win of his career over Alabama, connecting on 16 of 20 pass attempts for 252 yards, two touchdowns and no picks.

WHAT. A. PLAY pic.twitter.com/1OURMUFi9o

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 5, 2024

Pavia also added 56 yards on 20 carries, including the eight-yard first down run that kept the ball in Vanderbilt's possession with just over a minute left on the clock and allowed the Commodores to seal the upset victory.

PAVIA. FIRST DOWN pic.twitter.com/lneJhuQFyU

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 5, 2024

This is not the first time Pavia has led his team to an upset. He drew national attention last November when he passed for 201 yards and three touchdowns to lead New Mexico State to its first win over an SEC opponent with a 31-10 upset of Auburn.

Pavia and the Commodores will return to action next Saturday as Vanderbilt hits the road to seek their second SEC victory of the season at Kentucky.

Nick Saban's comments about Vanderbilt resurfaced on Saturday after the Commodores secured an upset victory over No. 1 Alabama.

Vanderbilt won at home by the score of 40-35, representing the school's first win over the Crimson Tide since 1984.

UNRANKED VANDY UPSETS NO. 1 ALABAMA 😱

COMMODORES PULL OFF THE UNTHINKABLE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zSFc09sdJC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2024

During a Sept. 20 appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, the legendary former Alabama head coach discussed the lack of a hostile road environment that he believed the Commodores possessed.

"The only place you're going to play in the SEC that's not hard to play, Vanderbilt," Saban said (h/t Steve Samra of On3.com). "When you play at Vanderbilt, you have more fans there than they have, and that's no disrespect to them, it's the truth."

Fans were quick to reference his quote following the surprising loss on Saturday.

Vanderbilt played this Nick Saban clip on the videoboard after beating Alabama tonight.

"The only place you play in the SEC that's not hard to play is Vanderbilt. When you play at Vanderbilt, you have more fans there than they have. That's no disrespect to them. That's just the… https://t.co/pHqKzjS5QH pic.twitter.com/NmZmGku0fk

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 5, 2024

Yikessss

— RunItBackHerbo (@RunItBackHerbo) October 5, 2024

Nick Saban said this about Vanderbilt’s First Bank Stadium two weeks ago.

His former team is on the ropes in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/zFcujBsD5G

— Jacob Davis (@JacobScottDavis) October 5, 2024

Nick Saban just said Vanderbilt is the only SEC stadium that’s not hard to play at not that long ago too https://t.co/hGC3bAOOCY

— . (@RavensSoulja) October 5, 2024

The clip of Saban saying the only place that isn’t tough to play in the SEC is Vanderbilt is about to go absolutely mega-viral.

Cant believe this is happening. CFB is blown wide open.

— Paul Jackson (@paulieredsox) October 5, 2024

Thanks Coach! Jinx
“The only place you’re going to play in the SEC that’s not hard to play, Vanderbilt,” Saban said during a discussion about the challenge Tennessee has ahead of them this week. “When you play at Vanderbilt, you have more fans there than they have, and that’s no…

— Bryan Stone (@BryanStoneVB) October 5, 2024

Saban's teams were dominant at FirstBank Stadium throughout his tenure with the program, allowing Vanderbilt to score just 13 total points (via NBC Sports' Nicole Auerbach).

While it's true that his Crimson Tide squads weren't fazed by the road environment, his comments were clearly used as bulletin board material by the Commodores. They secured their first win over a top-five team on Saturday after they previously owned a record of 0-60 against such opponents, per Stewart Mandel of The Athletic.

After a statement win over No. 5 Georgia on Sept. 28, Alabama followed it up with a shocking defeat on Saturday.

Heading into this weekend, Alabama had not lost to Vanderbilt since 1984, while Vanderbilt had never before defeated a No. 1 team.

That all changed on Saturday as Diego Pavia led the unranked Commodores to a 40-35 upset of Jalen Milroe and No. 1 Alabama.

UNRANKED VANDY UPSETS NO. 1 ALABAMA 😱

COMMODORES PULL OFF THE UNTHINKABLE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zSFc09sdJC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2024

Alabama entered the weekend ranked the No. 1 team after beginning SEC play with an upset of Georgia.

The Crimson Tide's ranking is all but guaranteed to drop back down before Week 6.

“Alabama is the clear number one team in the country after beating Georgia last week”

Vandy: pic.twitter.com/CKEV5fh60Q

— Dylan Holt (@DylanHolt_) October 5, 2024

Alabama got back to #1 after losing Nick Saban only to lose to Vanderbilt in an active construction site because of the heroism of a zero-star QB who played juco ball for the New Mexico Military Institute. What a world

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) October 5, 2024

Vanderbilt didn't beat Alabama.

Vanderbilt outplayed, outtoughed, outcalled, outclassed, outwitted, outdid, outeverythinged Alabama

— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) October 5, 2024

Vandy was better than Alabama from the opening kickoff. I’ve never seen anything like that

— Cruz Oxenreider (@TheRealCruzOx) October 5, 2024

https://twitter.com/SharkBaitBite/status/1842713225990656275

Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt Commodores beat No. 1 Alabama 40-35:

- first win over a Top-5 opponent in school history (were 0-60)
- first win over Bama since 1984
- most points against Bama since 1906
- only 4th time a No. 1 Bama team lost to an unranked opponent in 68 tries

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 5, 2024

You could've been born any time, and you got to be alive when Diego Pavia dropped 40 on Bama. We are truly blessed.

— parker fleming (@statsowar) October 5, 2024

Alabama beats Georgia then loses to unranked Vanderbilt. CFB is crazy

— Nick ™ (@thenickrogers_) October 5, 2024

By losing to Vanderbilt in OT instead of regulation, Virginia Tech is a better team than Alabama. Those are the rules.

— Ryan McCafferty (@rjmanalytics) October 5, 2024

My initial take is Kalen DeBoer losing to Vanderbilt here is worse than any loss of the Nick Saban era including the famous loss to Louisiana Monroe in 2007.

That it came a way after beating Georgia to become No. 1 in the country is almost incomprehensible.

— John Talty (@JTalty) October 5, 2024

Milroe, who earned early Heisman Trophy buzz with his strong start to the season, threw a pick-six in the first quarter that let Vanderbilt claim an early 13-point lead.

VANDERBILT PICK SIX ON JALEN MILROE ‼️

BAMA IS DOWN 13-0 😳

(via @VandyFootball)
pic.twitter.com/mIZw7QZFfd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2024

Alabama had recovered from the early deficit to pull within five points of tying the game in the fourth quarter when Milroe fumbled a ball that was retrieved by the Commodores at midfield.

Vanderbilt went on to score a touchdown that put the game out of Alabama's reach.

JALEN MILROE FUMBLE 😮

VANDY UP LATE IN THE FOURTH 👀

📺 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/FIUcoy43qa

— ESPN (@espn) October 5, 2024

Alabama's defense has been vulnerable all season and it took...Vanderbilt to fully capitalize.

— John Talty (@JTalty) October 5, 2024

No effort all game from this defense. Kalen DeBoer and Kan Wommack need to take a step back and really think about things

— Jacob Leigeber (@Jacobdl15) October 5, 2024

Milroe finished the loss having gone 16-of-21 for 300 yards, a touchdown and the interception. He also added another touchdown on the ground.

There's no way Jalen Milroe wins the Heisman Trophy with a Vanderbilt loss on his resume' and the honeymoon is officially over for Kalen DeBoer #Heisman

— MAT (@DetroitKid33) October 5, 2024

https://twitter.com/supernobodyy/status/1842707976735313994

Jalen Milroe has not been the best QB on the field today.

— Dream PhD (@PoisonIceCream1) October 5, 2024

Pavia, who transferred to Vanderbilt this summer after two seasons with New Mexico State, meanwhile went 15-of-19 for 233 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

PAVIA. FIRST DOWN pic.twitter.com/lneJhuQFyU

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 5, 2024

I’ve seen it for back-to-back seasons now. An NFL team needs to take a serious look at Diego Pavia. He’s so poised under pressure.

— Jasher®️ (@jashercox) October 5, 2024

we will be seated for every diego pavia NFL preseason game

— charles (“you look good” - andy reid) mcdonald (@FourVerts) October 5, 2024

A year ago Diego Pavia was the QB for a New Mexico State football team that lost at home to UMass. Today, he beats No. 1 Alabama. College football.

— Howard Herman (@howardherman) October 5, 2024

The loss came after former Alabama head coach Nick Saban shaded Vanderbilt's home game atmosphere ahead of this weekend's matchup.

"The only place you're going to play in the SEC that's not hard to play, Vanderbilt," Saban said Friday on The Pat McAfee Show. "When you play at Vanderbilt, you have more fans there than they have, and that's no disrespect to them, it's the truth."

Saban went 4-0 against Vanderbilt during his tenure as Alabama's head coach, most recently defeating the Commodores 55-3 in 2022.

Vanderbilt scored a total of 13 points against Alabama in the Nick Saban era.

Through two quarters of the Kalen DeBoer era, Vandy has scored 23.

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 5, 2024

Nick Saban never lost to Vanderbilt. Ever.

— Jake Wimberly (@Jakewim) October 5, 2024

Alabama giving up 40 points and losing to Vandy?! Nick Saban would never

— Someone’s Favorite Problematic J Name (@heymrholman) October 5, 2024

Did nobody tell Kalen DeBoer about the SEC grind?

— Travis J Davidson (@TravisSkol) October 5, 2024

Instant hot seat for Kalen DeBoer lol

— Big Dog (@jlwarren93) October 5, 2024

Despite Saturday's loss, some Crimson Tide fans weren't ready to give up on a team lead by two offensive stars in Milroe and wideout Ryan Williams.

Alabama isn't in trouble and they are still a top 2 team in the country but damn that defense needs to tighten up If they wanna make a run in the CFP

— Crayo (@Crayohh) October 5, 2024

Alabama’s probably going to win the Natty now.

— Chris (@Cheeto377) October 5, 2024

Next up for Alabama is a home game next Saturday against South Carolina as the Crimson Tide look to move back into the win column with their second conference game in Tuscaloosa.

Vanderbilt meanwhile could be a ranked team by the time they arrive in Lexington to take on Kentucky next Saturday.

Young wide receivers are making quite the impact on the college football landscape.

Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams have been sensational for their respective teams in 2024 at the ages of 18 and 17 respectively. That was no different on Saturday.

Smith had four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State's 35-7 victory over Iowa, with his touchdown coming in electric fashion.

JEREMIAH SMITH DID IT ALL ON THIS DRIVE 🔥

ANOTHER RIDICULOUS ONE-HANDED TD GRAB 😱 @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/EmdWmKKXBA

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 5, 2024

JEREMIAH SMITH ADDS ANOTHER ONE-HANDER TO HIS COLLECTION 🤯

(via @BigTenNetwork)

pic.twitter.com/fG9DV0tz0t

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2024

He is up to 19 catches for 364 yards and five touchdowns across his first five collegiate games and looks like a cornerstone piece for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Fans took to social media to praise the 18-year-old and project his future.

Oh Jeremiah Smith, alright then! pic.twitter.com/xPMldNTr3W

— Jake (@jakekolp9) October 5, 2024

I'm trying not to be hyperbolic, but Jeremiah Smith might actually be generational.

— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) October 5, 2024

Jeremiah Smith is getting Heisman votes in 2024. He's gonna win it before he leaves the sport.

— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) October 5, 2024

By my count, Jeremiah Smith is now the first Buckeye in history to catch a touchdown in each of the first five games of a season.

— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) October 5, 2024

Jeremiah Smith is the best we’ve seen.

— matt (@sponhourm) October 5, 2024

Jeremiah Smith is just unreal.

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 5, 2024

As Smith had an excellent day, Williams continued to show his excellence despite a losing effort from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He made three catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in Alabama's 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt and is now up to 16 catches for 462 yards and five touchdowns on the season.

Fans hyped the 17-year-old for his performance.

RYAN. FREAKING. WILLIAMS. TD. 😳🤯

SPECIAL.

(via @AlabamaFTBL)
pic.twitter.com/qmKqzApkv4

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2024

Ryan Williams is the most amazing thing I've ever seen on a football field. My brain cant compute what he does.

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) October 5, 2024

Ryan Williams did it again this guy is such a joke

— Big Game Bengal (@BengalYouTube) October 5, 2024

Just let Ryan Williams enter the NFL Draft this year

— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) October 5, 2024

Overall, the conversation steered towards how excellent both players have been and fans commented on how they are battling to be the true best freshman receiver in the country.

Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams one upping each other every Saturday

pic.twitter.com/BqwNjkXi3E

— Cole Adams (@coleadamss) October 5, 2024

This Ryan Williams-Jeremiah Smith touchdown duel is the most electric thing I've seen since McGwire and Sosa.

— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) October 5, 2024

Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith dominating every single Saturday like future All Pro wide receivers pic.twitter.com/MfeUrfkv90

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 5, 2024

Every single week Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith make plays that have my jaw hitting the floor. How are these guys true freshman? pic.twitter.com/tdJ2ACfv4i

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 5, 2024

Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams do something incredible every week.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) October 5, 2024

College Football fans are honestly blessed that we get 3 years of Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams

— Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O) October 5, 2024

We can debate Jeremiah Smith or Ryan Williams all we want.

Both are insane.
pic.twitter.com/yaRNH50RkJ

— Walk-On Redshirts (@walkonredshirts) October 5, 2024

Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams fighting for best WR in the country every Saturday pic.twitter.com/A79vD3MBAi

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) October 5, 2024

The debate between the two is valid and while Williams currently has more yards, Smith's team is still undefeated and could unseat the Crimson Tide as the No. 1 team in the country.

Both have plenty of time to establish their greatness at the collegiate level but it truly looks like the sky is the limit for the teenagers.

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban had some nice things to say about Miami head coach Mario Cristobal during his appearance on ESPN's College GameDay, but Cristobal couldn't help but tell a small joke to troll the 72-year-old.

While Saban was praising Cristobal for speaking Spanish to connect with recruits in Miami when he worked as an assistant at Alabama (9:15 mark), Cristobal quipped, "I was protecting him from Dolphins fans."

Nick Saban on College Gameday to Mario Cristobal: “When we used to go recruit in Miami when he was on the staff, every school we went in, he talked Spanish. I didn’t know what was happening. But we got some players!”

Cristobal: “I was protecting him from Dolphins fans.”

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) October 5, 2024

Before joining Alabama in 2007 and going on to become one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, Saban spent two years in the NFL coaching the Miami Dolphins. After finishing second in the AFC East with a 9-7 record in 2005, the team finished last in the division with a 6-10 record the following year before he left to join the Crimson Tide.

Saban's departure from Miami was somewhat controversial because he repeatedly denied the notion that he would be Alabama's head coach before ultimately accepting the position.

"I guess I have to say it. I'm not going to be the Alabama coach," Saban said on Dec. 21, 2006. He was named Crimson Tide head coach on Jan. 3, 2007.

Saban recently told ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit that he would've considered staying with the Dolphins had the team chosen to sign Drew Brees prior to the 2006 season. Brees was recovering from a career-threatening shoulder injury, so Miami opted to trade for veteran quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who was still recovering from a knee injury that derailed his career.

"I think if we would've signed Drew Brees, I probably would've been happy at Miami," Saban said.

Here's Coach Saban reflecting on his coaching choices and decisions on "Walks With Ben" this past weekend! Link to the full video in the thread below 🧵 pic.twitter.com/rG4ilKvax9

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 30, 2024

Cristobal can help improve Saban's stature in Miami, as he's led the Hurricanes to a 5-0 start and a No. 8 ranking entering Saturday's matchup against Cal.

An anonymous NFL scout believes Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is a version of Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson with "better throwing."

Dan Patrick shared the scout's assessment on Thursday's episode of The Dan Patrick Show.

"I talked to an NFL scout yesterday... he watches a lot of tape, he goes to see teams in person, and he called me. He said, 'Hey, get ahead of the curve. Jalen Milroe is a better-throwing Lamar Jackson,'" Patrick said.

Patrick continued: "He said, 'The jump from last year to this year is remarkable... he's a great deep-ball thrower.'"

"Jalen Milroe is a better throwing Lamar Jackson... The jump from last year to this year is remarkable."

-From an #NFL scout that reached out to DP last night pic.twitter.com/KP11E8ViVh

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) October 3, 2024

Milroe has completed 72.9 percent of his pass attempts through four games while helping the Crimson Tide remain undefeated.

He has gone 62-of-85 for 964 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception while adding 52 carries for 273 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

His 11.3 yards gained per passing attempt and 68.3 rushing yards per game are both the highest of his four-year college career.

THROWIN' DIMES!! 👀👀@JalenMilroe ➡️ @showtime1kp

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/PwI3Yc3VC1

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 11, 2023

This anonymous NFL scout isn't the first to compare Milroe to Jackson, who entered the 2017 NFL draft after recording more than 5,000 all-purpose yards during his third season with Louisville.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart called Milroe a "bigger, more physical version" of Jackson ahead of last year's SEC championship game loss to Alabama.

Milroe's stock has risen with his improved passing over the latter half of the 2023 season and the first part of the 2024 campaign. Although he will have one remaining year of college eligibility after 2024, the Crimson Tide quarterback will also be eligible to join the 2025 NFL draft next spring.

Given his success during his senior season with Alabama, it's looking more and more certain Milroe will be high on NFL teams' draft boards should he decide to go pro after this season.

Legendary draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. believes Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe could climb to the top of the positional hierarchy once the 2025 NFL draft rolls around.

"He is right now gonna be the QB2 or QB1 for me, I will make that decision later tonight," Kiper said in the newest episode of First Draft. "By late April, I would bet right now, by late April, he will be the first quarterback off the board."

There isn't a clear consensus over the top signal-caller in the 2025 class.

Miami's Cameron Ward is the No. 1 QB and sixth overall on Bleacher Report's first big board of the season with a grade of 8.7, but the competition is hot on his heels. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders is 11th (8.6) and Georgia's Carson Beck (8.5) is 13th. Either of the two could overtake Ward, while Milroe is lingering on the periphery as well.

The redshirt junior remains a dynamic runner. He has gone for 273 yards and eight touchdowns on 52 carries through four games. His improvement as a passer is what NFL scouts are probably noticing most, though.

Milroe ranks eighth among FBS quarterbacks in completion percentage (72.9) and third in passer rating (204.7). Not only is he more efficient in the pocket, but he's also averaging a career high with 13.2 adjusted yards per attempt, per Sports Reference.

In Alabama's 41-34 win over Georgia, Milroe finished 27-of-33 for 374 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 117 yards and two scores. It was the kind of performance that might have implications on the Heisman Trophy race and draft boards.

The Crimson Tide still have big games against No. 4 Tennessee, No. 9 Missouri, No. 13 LSU and No. 19 Oklahoma ahead in addition to potentially the College Football Playoff.

If Milroe can maintain his current production through the rest of their schedule, he'll have a strong case for the title of QB1 next spring.

Despite being the youngest FBS player this season, Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams has already taken college football by storm with 177 yards and the game-winning touchdown in Saturday's 41-34 victory over Georgia.

Williams made himself college-eligible at the age of 17 by graduating from Saraland High School early and reclassifying to 2024. He officially announced the move last December, while also confirming he would be going to the University of Alabama.

"Definitely dominating at the high school level," Williams said of his decision to go to college early. "Me and my family took careful consideration after my sophomore football season, and we decided it was a decision we wanted to make. We went through the whole season. We wanted to make sure it was after the season so the focus wasn't on me because I always want to be team first. Once the season was complete, it was time. Today's the day."

Williams became the first two-time winner of Alabama's Mr. Football award, taking home the honor in 2022 and 2023. He finished his final season at Saraland with 72 catches for 1,324 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The Alabama native originally committed to the Crimson Tide during his sophomore season in Oct. 2022.

#AGTG HOME SWEET HOME 🐘🐘! @tjkelly17 @HolmonWiggins @CoachKellyUA1 @Brett_Boutwell @RTRnews @AlabamaFTBL @GoSaraland @Hayesfawcett3 @adamgorney @JeremyO_Johnson @BenThomasPreps @AL6AFootball @RyanMWms @shanec_y @coachTigg @HallTechSports1 @AndrewJBone @HankSouth247 pic.twitter.com/5TbR4DlGT6

— 𝐑𝐲𝐚𝐧 “𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝” 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐬 2 (@Ryanwms1) October 9, 2022

There was some concern that Nick Saban's retirement would impact Williams' verbal pledge to the program. He told ESPN's Tom VanHaaren on Jan. 10, hours after Saban announced his decision, he was reopening his recruiting.

"I had no idea, actually," Williams told ESPN. "It's the dead period and I just saw all the other players transferring or declaring for the draft. I was wondering [what would happen], but I found out through Twitter [that Saban was retiring]."

After Kalen DeBoer was hired by Alabama to replace Saban on Jan. 12, Williams announced 12 days later that he was again committed to the Crimson Tide.

Expectations for Williams were sky-high after the reclassification. He was a 5-star prospect and No. 3 overall player in the 2024 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Williams has more than lived up to the hype, despite playing this whole season as a 17-year-old. He has 462 yards and five touchdowns on 16 receptions in four games. The highlight of his young career was the go-ahead 75-yard touchdown catch against Georgia.

ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!

RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024

Williams' 28.9 yards per reception ranks first among all FBS players with at least 10 catches. His 177 yards against the Bulldogs were his most in a game this season. Georgia entered the matchup having allowed no more than 76 receiving yards to a single player in its first three games.

There appears to be no ceiling on what Williams is capable of doing. He won't even turn 18 until Feb. 9. If you want to look ahead to the NFL, he will be draft-eligible in 2027.

Assuming the NFL draft remains a late-April event, Williams would be 20 years and three months then. There have only been three players in history who were younger than that at the time they were drafted.

Saturday's thriller between Alabama and Georgia drew historic viewership numbers.

Per ESPN PR, the 41-34 win for the Crimson Tide drew 12 million viewers, marking the highest-viewed regular-season primetime game on any network since 2017.

Last Saturday's @SEC on ABC tripleheader won the week with #UGAvsALA becoming @ESPNCFB's best regular season game since '17

🏈 @GeorgiaFootball vs @AlabamaFTBL | 12M viewers
🏈 @OU_Football vs @AuburnFootball | 5M viewers
🏈 @UKFootball vs @OleMissFB | 4M viewers pic.twitter.com/KeOCtxnqiF

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 1, 2024

Those tuning in witnessed an early contender for the game of the year.

Alabama got off to a 28-0 lead, smothering quarterback Carson Beck and the Bulldogs' offense. The Tide went into the half with a 30-7 lead, seemingly putting the game away before the start of the second half.

But Georgia came storming back and had Alabama within striking distance heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored 20 unanswered points in the final quarter, taking a 34-33 lead with just over two minutes to go.

Georgia's lead lasted only seconds as Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe found freshman sensation Ryan Williams for a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive. A two-point conversion made it a 41-34 game.

ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!

RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024

While Georgia's offense managed to march down the field and into the red zone, Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown intercepted Beck's pass in the end zone to seal the victory for the Tide.

The loss for the Bulldogs marked their first regular-season loss since the 2020 season, ending a regular-season win streak of 42 games.

Considering the stakes of the No. 2 vs. No. 4 matchup, it will be hard to top Saturday's viewership numbers, but a look ahead at the 2024 season shows some games that might be capable of doing so.

Alabama will face off with No. 4 Tennessee on Oct. 19, a matchup that will likely be between two undefeated squads and have plenty of SEC championship implications. That same Saturday, Georgia will take on No. 2 Texas, another exciting game that could help determine who plays in the SEC championship game.

Outside of the SEC, No. 3 Ohio State has a handful of top-10 matchups that should garner plenty of attention, including its rivalry matchup with No. 10 Michigan, which always boasts historic ratings.

Being a wide receiver at Alabama is a good starting point for any freshman player, but having the best game of your debut season against Georgia in prime time on national television is going to significantly raise your profile.

Per Pete Nakos of On3.com, the 17-year-old Williams had his NIL valuation nearly double from $768,000 to $1.5 million after catching the game-winning touchdown in Alabama's 41-34 victory over Georgia on Saturday night.

Using the updated NIL chart from On3.com, Williams' new valuation ranks 14th among all college athletes. He is right in line with Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (both at $1.5 million), and slightly ahead of LSU's Flau'jae Johnson and Connecticut's Paige Bueckers (both at $1.4 million).

After the Bulldogs erased a 28-point deficit to take a 34-33 lead with 2:31 remaining, the Crimson Tide responded on their next offensive play with Williams making one of the most absurd catch-and-run plays in recent memory on a pass from Jalen Milroe for the go-ahead score.

ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!

RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024

Between the end of the game and Monday morning, Williams gained 96,000 followers on Instagram.

Ryan Williams has gained 96,000 followers since Saturday night, he has now become the most followed Alabama player on Instagram passing Jalen Milroe…come to Bama build your brand and play in big games as a freshman!!! That script A holds weight!! #TheStandard #RMFT 🐘🐘 pic.twitter.com/5zcGc7CRTe

— Im a writer (@JayJDONDA) September 30, 2024

Nakos noted Williams' Instagram followers have now increased by more than 160,000 since the game, and his total social-media following is over 640,000.

Williams finished with six receptions for 177 yards and a score in just his fourth college game against a Bulldogs defense that had given up a total of 18 points in their first three games.

An Alabama native, Williams reclassified to the 2024 class in December and kept his commitment to the Crimson Tide. He was a 5-star prospect and the No. 4 overall recruit in the nation, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Williams has recorded 16 catches for 462 yards and five touchdowns through Alabama's first four games this season. He will be eligible for the NFL draft as a 20-year-old in 2027.