Alabama has two high-expectation players, one on offense and one of defense, who must get things on track against Wisconsin
Alabama has two players, one on offense and one on defense, who need to get things on track after entering the 2025 college football season with high expectations.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is set to take on Wisconsin on Saturday for an SEC-Big Ten showdown. With it now being less than 24 hours away, we present one offensive and defensive player that Alabama fans should be keeping an eye on. These are guys who should have something to prove in this game.
Defense: LT Overton
Wisconsin continues to shuffle around its lineup along the offensive line, whether that’s due to injury or poor play. Davis Heinzen, the transfer left tackle from Central Michigan, lost his starting job after just one week with Riley Mahlman, who started the season opener at right tackle, sliding over to the left side to replace him. Emerson Mandell moved from right guard out to right tackle, and Colin Cubberly, who’d been battling with Kerry Kodanko at center to replace the injured Jake Renfro, moved out to right guard to replace Mandell.
Really, the only player who’s played the same position from both of Wisconsin’s games is left guard Joe Brunner. That’s a lot of turnover. Of course, that doesn’t always mean much, as we learned from the Florida State matchup, but if Alabama comes better prepared, they could turn this into a sizeable advantage.
Overton will need to be a big part of it though. Simply put, the senior hasn’t been good enough through the first two weeks of the season. Sure, he’s earned two pressures in each of the first two games, but he averaged three per game in 2024. Plus, he’s continued to struggle to get quarterbacks on the ground, which was a major problem last year. Alabama needs a better pass rush, and we were all expecting Overton to lead the charge there. He’s leading the team in pressures, but the Tide haven’t notched a sack so far in 2025.
That must change on Saturday.
Offense: Ryan Williams
Williams hasn’t seen his second season get off to a great start. After totaling just 30 yards on five catches with three drops in the opener against Florida State, the former five-star recruit was forced to miss Week 2 against Louisiana-Monroe due to a concussion. While others were given an opportunity to right the ship following a poor performance against the Seminoles, Williams is still waiting for that opportunity.
Last year against Wisconsin, the instate product totaled 78 yards and a touchdown on four catches. That was in the middle of a five-game run where he had 19 catches for 544 receiving yards (28.6 yards per catch) and seven total touchdowns. Unfortunately from there, he only produced 29 more receptions for 321 yards (11.1 YPC) and three mores scores in the remaining eight games. In other words, a drastic drop off.
Williams will return this weekend from his concussion, and the hope is for him to show fans that he’s gotten things back on track. There’s no denying that he’s the most explosive, dynamic weapon on Alabama’s offense, but at a certain point, he’s got to go back out there and prove it. I believe he’ll do just that, and I think his presence will help present more opportunities in the passing game for others such as Germie Bernard. This wide receiver room has a chance to be something special. Now, it’s time for them to go out an earn it.
