Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams had to be helped off the field in the second quarter of Tide’s national championship game against Georgia on Monday.
Williams caught a deep pass through the middle from Bryce Young, but turned awkwardly after he made the reception, which went 40 yards to Georgia’s 35-yard line. He immediately reached his left knee after hitting the grass, and was unable to put any weight on his leg as he walked to the sideline.
Williams was finally able to walk alone from the medical tent to the Alabama locker room.
ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported during the third quarter that Williams would not be returning to the game.
After the game, Alabama coach Nick Saban said Crimson Tide won’t know the full extent of the injury until Williams undergoes an MRI, but said the catcher wanted to get back into the game in the second half. However, Saban said medical staff kept him out of the game.
If Williams can’t return to the game, Crimson Tide won’t possibly have its best offensive playmaker outside of Young. Williams was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award after he caught 75 passes for 1,507 yards with 15 touchdowns in 2021. His receiving yards ranked fifth among FBS receivers, while his touchdowns ranked third.
Crimson Tide lost its second leading receiver in the SEC championship game when John Metchie tore his ACL. Metchie had 1,142 receiving yards on 96 receptions and eight touchdowns.
After Williams and Metchie, no other receiver on the team had more than 400 yards per reception. Slade Bolden was third on the team with 364 yards, while tight end Cameron Latu was third with seven received touchdowns.
Williams’ injury comes about three months before the NFL Draft, where Williams is expected to be one of the first wide receivers off the board. Sporting News currently has Williams listed as the No. 14 player in the class.