TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ryan Williams is hoping some added muscle will translate to extra production during his sophomore season. The Alabama receiver is still listed at the same 6-foot, 175 pounds he was just his debut season last year, but that might not be the case by the time fall rolls around.

“I’m getting a little bigger, if y’all can’t tell,” Williams said while smiling and looking down at his bicep on Thursday. “I’m just trying to impact blocking because my guys block for me. I’m just trying to return the favor down the field blocking.”

Don’t worry, Alabama fans. Williams doesn’t plan on losing a step with his added bulk. The speedy receiver even went as far as to tell reporters that he plans on posting a faster time in the 40-yard dash than the 4.37 mark Jalen Milroe recorded during Alabama’s Pro Day.

He’s just going to achieve that burst with a bit more power.

During his freshman season, Ryan Wiliams earned Freshman All-American honors recording 48 catches for a team-high 865 yards and eight touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, 397 of those yards came after the catch. With his new added weight, Williams says he’s looking forward to breaking more tackles along with shaking past defenders in open space.

Williams’ weight game comes as Alabama’s receiving unit is getting bigger as a whole. The Tide returns Jalen Hale (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) from a season-ending injury last spring while also bringing in Miami transfer Isaiah Horton (6-4, 209) this offseason.

Earlier this week, head coach Kalen DeBoer said that the added length in the receiver room will allow Alabama to be more flexible with how it uses Williams, giving him more opportunities to work inside. According to PFF, Williams spent 553 snaps on the perimeter compared to 120 in the slot during his freshman year.

“It’s just fun to be able to do everything on the football field,” Williams said. “The fact that he’s allowing me to inside, outside, just open up my varieties to what I can do in the game.”

Despite his production, Williams hit somewhat of a freshman wall during his debut season, eclipsing the 50-yard mark just twice over his final six games. Entering his second year with the program, he feels he’s more adept at managing the rigors of the college game.

“Going through the season, of course there’s going to be ups and downs,” Williams said. “So just throughout the season, the biggest thing that I learned was understanding when my body was trying to tell me something. Cause I’m telling you the student-athlete life is not an easy task. There’s class, football, everything. So just understanding when to take time to rehab your body and making sure to be efficient with all your time.

Along with managing the physical side of his game, Williams said he’s working on improving his route running and leadership. It’s all part of the big plans the star receiver has heading into the fall.

“I feel I could have done a lot better,” Williams said of his debut season. “I left some plays out there, but that’s part of the journey. It was all right, but we’re looking on to bigger and better things.”