The USC Trojans beat the Fresno State Bulldogs to advance to 1-0 in the opening game of the 2019 season at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 31st, 2019.
USC Players Rejoice And Celebrate Together As NFL-Bound QB Caleb Williams Makes His Way To The NFL Draft
The USC Trojans capped off a disappointing college season with a Holiday Bowl win over the Louisville Cardinals, though sophomore Miller Moss stopped Caleb Williams as Caleb Williams hoped.
Thursday’s win marked the final game for many of the juniors and seniors at USC, with top prospects now focusing on the 2024 NFL Draft.
Moss caught up and threw for touchdowns six in a 42-28 victory, setting a new school record in a bowl game.
Williams has been selected No. 1 all-time, and safety Calen Bullock and wide receivers Brenden Rice and Tahj Washington will be available next year.
Enter the NFL. Washington scored two touchdowns and drove 99 yards against Louisville in the Holiday Bowl win, but Rice and Williams missed big time.
The Trojans were heard shouting,
“We a team now! We a team now!”
after the upset against Louisville, leading some fans to question the motive for their comments.
Williams has had the No. 1 tag over his head all season and will likely be joined in the NFL next year by safety Calen Bullock and wide receivers Brenden Rice and Tahj Washington.
After the game, Moss reflected on his dream of becoming a starter, but a source said fans believe many players will leave school.
“I think it’s less important for me and more important for the team,”
Moss said after the game.
Even though Williams is headed to the NFL, Moss doesn’t expect him to lead the Trojans next season because, he said,
“We have a tough game, and I’m in difficult place at this level of football. It’s difficult. to do that. win a game – win it.”
The first choice in a professional sports model is very stressful, but it is also difficult to guarantee success. Bryce Young (NFL), Victor Bunyama (NBA), Paul Skenes (MLB) and Connor Bedard (NHL) were selected first in their 2023 draft, and since then their future losses have been completely consolidated.
Now, as the 2024 draft approaches, young players have done or are doing everything they can to impress professional coaches and players.
Being selected at No. 1 in a professional sports draft certainly brings a lot of pressure but, at the same time, rarely guarantees success.
Bryce Young (NFL), Victor Wembanyama (NBA), (Paul Skenes (MLB) and Connor Bedard (NHL) were taken as the top selections in their respective 2023 drafts, and they’ve certainly had mixed fortunes since.
Now, the 2024 drafts are on the horizon and young athletes either have been or are in the process of doing all they can to impress professional coaches and scouts.
Caleb Williams – NFL
Draft date: April 25-27, 2024
Williams has long been thought to be one of the two best quarterbacks in his class alongside North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
An elusive passer and runner with an electrifying arm and strong leadership skills, Williams won the Heisman Trophy and was named the Associated Press’ college football player of the year in 2022 after a standout season.
This year was tough for him in Southern California as the Trojans went 7-5 before winning the Holiday Bowl – which Williams skipped – and many tried to claim their results were proof that Williams should not go as high as No. 1 in the draft.
He finished his final collegiate season with 41 combined touchdowns, 3,633 passing yards and only five interceptions across 12 games. But, as well as Maye, Ohio Statewide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr has also staked his claim to be taken first.
The Buckeyes star produced an outstanding season, chalking up 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Caleb Williams from Gonzaga High School was rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 5-star grade by 247 Sports and was the number one recruit in the entire country.
After high school, Williams opted to join Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma.
In 2021 as a freshman Williams started the year backing up Spencer Rattler, but after Rattler was benched in a week 6 game against Texas Williams led the Sooners to an unlikely come-from-behind win – and as a result, was handed the starting job for the rest of the year.
He finished the year throwing for 1912 yards on 212 attempts with a completion percent of 64.2 for an average of 9.0 yards per pass, with 21 TDs, while taking 19 sacks, and an elite QB rating of 118.3. He added 64 runs for a total of 559 yards at an average of 8.7 per run.
After the season Williams followed his coach who left for USC and as a sophomore while playing in 13 games as he put up a record-breaking season passing for an outstanding 4080 yards on 450 attempts with a completion percentage of 66.0 for an average of 9.1 yards per pass, with 37 TDs, while also taking 30 sacks, and putting up a QB rating of 118.6. He also added 90 runs for a total of 614 yards at an average of 6.8 per rush.
HONORS & AWARDS
• 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Williams, the record-setting Unanimous First Team All-American quarterback
• 2022 holds the USC single-season record for total offense (4,919 yards), most touchdowns scored rushing and passing (52), passing completions (333), passes attempted (500), most passing yards gained (4,537), most touchdown passes thrown (42)
• 2022 Maxwell Award
• 2022 Walter Camp Award
• 2022 Sporting News College Football Player of the Year
• 2021 True Freshman All-American by ESPN, 247Sports, On3 and Pro Football Focus
• 2021 semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback
• 2018 Gatorade District of Columbia Football Player of the Year and a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American
SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
• Has elite overall arm talent and make pretty much any throw even when off balance – has a Mahomes vibe to his play
• Put up ridiculous numbers in 2022 at USC where he rightfully won the Heisman
• Has an almost unique ability to pull off spectacular plays and saves his best for when the chips are down
• His play doesn’t drop off when under pressure – made an array of quality passes while trying to avoid a heavy pass rush
• His play is consistently top-notch despite being on a team with serious OL problems and only limited blocking help from backs
• He’s a huge threat with his legs – his play-fakes are outstanding, and Williams has the ability to manipulate safeties with his eyes.
• He’s a pure athlete, loose-limbed and flexible. Williams has the speed to pick up yardage in scramble situations.
• Elite accuracy overall, including excellent accuracy on short timing routes to backs and receivers, placing the ball slightly in front to lead receivers to potential yardage after the catch.
• Natural leader who will put the game on his back – very mature player
• Williams moves effectively and can throw on the run. He’s at his best on bootlegs, showing zip and accuracy on those throws.SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
• Doesn’t have the prototypical size for the position standing just 6’1 and weighing in at 215 lbs. – may be an injury risk going forward especially considering his play style
• At USC Williams plays in a simplistic offense mainly consisting of one-read concepts. He would perform in a traditional pro-offense is uncertain.
• Has played exclusively in the shotgun – at the moment he would be a work in progress as a dropback passer
• His mechanics are hit-or-miss, and his footwork needs cleaning up – although most of these issues are hidden by his arm talent
• Williams tends to hold the ball loosely and away from his body, putting him at risk for strip sacks.SCOUTING REPORT: SUMMARY
Caleb Williams is the best player in all of college football right now, and he has an incredible combination of athletic ability, arm talent and intangibles.
The only problem keeping him from being considered an Andrew Luck/John Elway/Mahomes level talent is his lack of height.
He’s listed at 6-1, but according to Bryce Young’s height measurements, William’s actual height is: he’s about 6 feet tall.
Williams can also throw the ball 50 yards down the field for nothing. What makes Williams’ arm unique is the fluidity of his throwing motion.
Williams’ upper body is very flexible and suddenly produces a lot of torque. Whether the pocket is loose or Williams is on the move, he can consistently deliver the ball with the same speed and control under normal circumstances. Indeed, Williams is a unique speaker.
That’s often a very narrow view of a young quarterback, but Williams’ consistency in those seasons was remarkable. That said, Williams’ explosiveness and speed down the field isn’t terrible by NFL standards. William’s enhanced parts turn out to be the same.
Arm’s talent shines in film and becomes a special shooter when things go wrong. If Williams has one more year in 2023 than 2022, he’ll be a first-round pick, and if youth drops, he’ll be a top-five pick.
