“It’s no excuse. It’s football. You gotta battle through those things, but the hardest part is what it does to you mentally,” said Coleman-Williams, who was rarely hurt during his high school career. “That’s where I struggled the most, but you look back now, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. When I’m out there now running and working out, I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is what it’s supposed to feel like.’
“Physically and mentally, I’m in a lot better place. You’re going to see me whole again.”
Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown, who came in with Coleman-Williams as part of the 2024 signing class, saw enough of Coleman-Williams this spring to know that he’s going to be a problem for anybody who lines up across from him this fall.
“He never lost any speed. If anything, he’s faster and harder to get down when he gets any kind of space between you,” Brown said. “It’s like, ‘He’s there, and then he’s not.’ What you saw when he was lighting it up as a freshman is who he is. Get ready to see that version of him again this season.”