Ryan Coleman-Williams drops 2 crucial passes in first half vs. East Carolina
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Ryan Coleman-Williams has a sense of the moment, with many highlight-reel plays already to his credit in his first 2 seasons at Alabama.
But the standout junior wide receiver also is building up a reputation for something else, something that has nothing to do with highlight reels and something that Crimson Tide fans are already getting sick of. That’s a penchant for dropped passes, which came to light last season during his mostly forgettable sophomore campaign and which, unfortunately, continued in Saturday’s season opener as the 13th-ranked Tide hosted East Carolina.
Yes, Coleman-Williams was putting up some decent numbers in the first half on Saturday, with 2 catches for 76 yards to his credit already with 9:15 left in the second quarter and Alabama rolling to a 31-7 lead. But guess what else was also to Coleman-Williams’ credit? Yep, those dropped passes.
According to PFF, he piled up 10 dropped passes last season, which were the 3rd-most in FBS. That’s a list that Coleman-Williams doesn’t want to be on, and he got an early start on that list on Saturday.
First, it was this drop, which would’ve put the Crimson Tide down at about the East Carolina 15-yard line with 5:26 left in the first quarter. Instead, it was more frustration as he simply dropped the ball with no Pirates defender near him.
But unfortunately, Coleman-Williams wasn’t done with the drops in the first half, this time dropping a pass that likely would’ve resulted in an Alabama touchdown.
Sure, Bama was having no problem on the scoreboard with East Carolina, but drops like Saturday’s could cost the Tide going forward against tougher competition.
Here’s the potential TD that Coleman-Williams let slip away in the second quarter:
If Coleman-Williams can keep his dropped passes to a minimum, Alabama just might be able to win a few more games in 2026. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Crimson Tide’s potential win total this fall:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
