Nike just went Hollywood—and Alabama’s Ryan Williams is the star

After Jeremiah Smith inked an NIL deal with Adidas, you know Nike was going to have a response. Their answer: Ryan Williams.

Alabama's star receiver is the new face of Nike college football. The global sports apparel company has already been outfitting the Crimson Tide on the field for years, and now they have Williams, a freshman All-American in 2024, as their newest client. 

Last year, Nike signed then-Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to an NIL deal.The terms of the Williams deal were not disclosed but On3/Rivals projected Williams to have a NIL evaluation of $2.7 million. 

“Since I can remember, Nike has always been the best fit on and off the field," Williams, 18, said in a statement. "Family has always been a huge part of who I am. When I had the opportunity to join the Nike family, I knew I had to just do it.”

Williams had one of the best freshman seasons for a wide receiver in program history. He had 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He splashed on to the national stage with six catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the Crimson Tide's 41-34 regular-season win over Georgia. Williams caught the game-winning score in that game. 

He became a hot name on the NIL market after that performance and he signed a deal with Uber Eats about a month after his big game against the Bulldogs.

​It's been quite an eventful offseason for Williams. He was named one of the two cover athletes for EA Sports' College Football '26 game, joining Smith.  Over the past few months Williams also has deals with nail polish brand Sally Hansen and clothing outfitter Hollister.

We can expect that Nike will be releasing Williams shoe soon enough and will possibly have a billboard with his face on it in Times Square, similar to what they did for Sanders last year.