Alabama couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the season.
The Crimson Tide destroyed East Carolina 48-10, Keelon Russell looked impressive in his first career start and Alabama finished with nearly 500 yards of offense.
But there was one problem that looked very familiar.
Ryan Coleman-Williams is still dropping passes.
Coleman-Williams struggled with drops throughout last season, finishing with 10 according to PFF, third-most in the FBS. Then, in the first half of Alabama’s first game of 2026, the issue immediately returned.
He dropped a deep ball while wide open early in the game. Later, another potential touchdown went through his hands and into the arms of an East Carolina defender, although the play was erased by an offsides penalty.
That’s concerning.
These mistakes didn’t matter against East Carolina.
They absolutely will against Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma and the rest of Alabama’s schedule.
The strange part is that Coleman-Williams was still arguably Alabama’s best receiver Saturday.
He recovered from the early mistakes to finish with five catches for 130 yards, including a 58-yard reception.
That’s what makes him such an interesting player.
The talent isn’t the question. Coleman-Williams can completely change a game when the ball is in his hands.
It’s whether Alabama can trust him to consistently catch it.
Kalen DeBoer certainly isn’t backing away. After the game, he made it clear Alabama will “keep feeding him,” pointing toward the difficult contested catches Coleman-Williams made after his early mistakes. Russell also expressed complete confidence in his receiver.
And maybe they’re right.
It’s Week 1. Coleman-Williams responded to his mistakes instead of allowing them to ruin his afternoon, and 130 receiving yards is nothing to complain about.
But after what happened last season, two more noticeable drops in the opener are difficult to ignore.
Alabama opens SEC play at Kentucky next weekend.
Coleman-Williams doesn’t need to become a different receiver.
He just needs to start catching the easy ones.
