Getty Alabam running back Roydell Williams has entered the transfer portal.
The Alabama Crimson Tide will likely be without Roydell Williams in 2024 with the running back entering the transfer portal. The good news is after months of rumors, star running back Daniel Hill has committed to Bama.
🎥THE MOMENT🎥
When 4🌟RB Daniel Hill announced his commitment to ALABAMA
Wait for the player reaction😂🔥
@adamgorney | @RivalsFriedman | @gregsmithrivals | @RivalsCorey | @BHoward_11 | @TideIllustrated
Williams posted 111 carries for 560 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide in 2023. It marked Williams’ best season during his four years in Tuscaloosa.
Hill is a four-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 6 running back in the 2024 class, per 247Sports. South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn were among the other top contenders for the Meridian, Mississippi standout back. The newest Bama running back has a physical running style to go with his 6-foot, 235-pound frame.
“Daniel Hill is the son of former Mississippi State defensive lineman Demetrius Hill,” On3.com detailed. “He owns two Mississippi 6A track state titles in 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. Hill endured comebacks from breaking both legs earlier in his high school career to develop into one of the nation’s top prospects and can now squat 725 pounds.”
Hill put up impressive numbers at Meridian High School notching 277 carries for 2,064 yards and 23 touchdowns. The playmaker added 16 receptions for 240 yards and 3 TDs through the air.
Daniel Hill on Alabama Football: ‘I Don’t Know How Many Times I’ve Been Up There’
4⭐️ RB Daniel Hill runs in for his 2nd touchdown of the All-American Bowl 🏈
The Meridian (MS.) standout will be making his college decision shortly 👀
Hill joins an Alabama program that has a legacy of producing top NFL running backs. The newest member of the Crimson Tide explained why Alabama is appealing.
“They’ve been recruiting me for a while,” Hill told On3.com during a January 4, 2024 interview. “I don’t know how many times I’ve been up there, but it’s been a lot.
“The legacy they have … not just with RB, but the whole program plus the RB legacy, that’s something you got to take into consideration as a RB going to Alabama, being coached by Nick Saban. [Alabama running backs coach Robert Gillespie] is a wonderful coach.”
Alabama Football: Roydell Williams’ Status in the Transfer Portal Opens Up Opportunities for Justice Haynes
Williams was utilized as the team’s second back behind Jase McClellan in 2023. The senior announced the transfer portal news days before Hill committed to the Crimson Tide. Assuming McClellan enters the NFL draft, Williams’ absence could open up an expanded opportunity for Justice Haynes who flashed in the Rose Bowl.
“On Thursday, the growing belief was that Williams would return for a fifth season,” The Athletic’s Kennington Smith III wrote in a January 5 article titled, “Alabama senior running back Roydell Williams enters transfer portal: Reports.” “Williams saw his biggest role at Alabama in 2023, finishing with 111 carries for 560 yards and five touchdowns, ranking second among running backs on the team in all three categories. He was limited to just one carry during the Rose Bowl loss to Michigan, which Saban attributed to an ankle injury.
“… For Williams, entering the transfer portal gives him an opportunity to find a role as the definitive, lead ball carrier as he tries to increase his draft stock with his last season of eligibility.”
During a January 4 interview on the “The Pat McAfee Show,” head coach Nick Saban admitted there was a “logjam” at running back this past season. Hill’s addition combined with fellow 2024 commit Kevin Riley does not make things any easier for Bama despite Williams’ exit.