With Alabama and Missouri set to battle in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, the matchup brings a look at two of the nation’s top receivers — Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Missouri’s Luther Burden III.
Williams, a 17-year-old true freshman, is playing in only his first season in a crimson-and-white uniform; however, that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the most well-known names in the country.
As a 5-star recruit out of Saraland High School, Williams initially decommitted from the Crimson Tide after former head coach Nick Saban’s retirement. However, Saban’s replacement, Kalen DeBoer, and his staff remained persistent in their recruitment of Williams, eventually leading to Williams recommitting to Alabama Jan. 24.
After garnering a multitude of media buzz from his impressive offseason, Williams only caught two passes in his Alabama debut against Western Kentucky in Week 1. But with a combined 139 yards and two touchdowns, those catches were perhaps the most meaningful of the game for the Crimson Tide.
The amount of receptions gradually increased as time passed, as did the national buzz around Williams himself. Against South Florida in Week 2, Williams accumulated 68 yards and a touchdown on four catches, and at Wisconsin in Week 3, he reeled in four passes once again for 78 yards and another touchdown.
Post-Week 3, Alabama started to play especially tight contests. Despite Williams only being a freshman, when the Crimson Tide has needed a big play throughout the season, his number always seems to be the one that gets called.
In Week 4 against Georgia, Williams had his career-best game, hauling in six catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. This included a 75-yard touchdown that put Alabama ahead in the final minutes, ultimately being the deciding score in the Crimson Tide victory.
Following Williams’ breakout game against the Bulldogs, defenses started to prioritize him in coverage, limiting him to only seven total catches over the next two games for 114 yards and one touchdown. However, against Tennessee in Week 8, he saw a career-high in targets with 20, bringing in eight for 73 yards and a touchdown.
“There is an intentional element to making sure he’s a part of the game plan,” DeBoer said. “He’s a guy that can go make those plays anytime. So, we got to continue to make sure he’s a strong part of the game plan.”
On the other side, Luther Burden III has been dominating the receiver position for a long time. As a freshman, he accumulated 375 yards and six touchdowns, which Williams has already surpassed through seven games in his first season.
It was Burden’s second year, however, that launched him onto the national stage, with the Missouri receiver bringing in 86 passes for 1,212 yards and eight touchdowns. These dominant statlines led to Burden being named to the All-SEC first team as one of two chosen receivers.
Burden has continued his elite production into 2024, totaling 37 receptions for 447 yards and four touchdowns through seven games. Another dynamic part of Burden’s game is his skill set in special teams. With 24 punt returns thus far in his career, Burden has totaled 252 yards, including a 75-yard return touchdown in his freshman year.
Williams and Burden look to greatly impact Saturday’s game, with the Crimson Tide and the Tigers prioritizing the passing attack on offense. But in the end, no matter who wins, it’s clear that watching both of these elite receivers go to work on the same field will be a treat for Alabama fans, Missouri fans and college football fans alike.
The two teams will play on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed on ABC.
