The Buckeyes' crowded wide receivers room made Williams' role unclear.
Earlier this month, former Ohio State wide receiver Jameson Williamsannounced he was transferring to Alabama after two years in Columbus.
It wasn’t exactly a surprise given his role within the Buckeyes’ offense was set to decrease this season, as junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson moved back outside this spring and sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba replaced him in the slot.
That left Williams competing for second-team snaps with sophomore Julian Fleming and early enrollee freshman Marvin Harrison Jr. behind Wilson and senior Chris Olave.
“To me, things were just unclear,” Williams told Bama Insider’s Andrew Bone. “I wasn't certain of my role in the offense. The receiver room got crowded. I just decided I needed a fresh start. I decided to enter the portal.”
Williams’ destination was unsurprising, as well, as the Crimson Tide just lost their top two wide receivers in Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle to the first round of the NFL Draft. He’ll now have a chance to be a starter with the reigning national champions.
“I felt like it was the best situation for me out of all the other schools,” Williams said. “I had a great relationship with the coaches there from the past. Everything really just fell into line at the right time.”
Williams committed to Ohio State during the 2019 recruiting cycle over finalists Alabama, Nebraska, Oregon and UCLA, but was apparently a lot closer to choosing the Crimson Tide than many believed. In fact, his father wasn’t too keen on him picking the Buckeyes in the first place.
"It was real close," Williams said. "My dad and I had full blown out arguments about it. I was thinking different than him and went to Ohio State instead of Alabama.”
In the end, the transfer portal offered Williams a second chance with his recruitment, and now he’s ready to get started on the next chapter of his football career.
“I think the offense should be a real fun thing,” Williams said. “I have seen a lot of good things, and I know they have great guys down there. I think we can do big things.”
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