What is Caleb William’s NFL draft projection? The USC Trojans’ QB’s stats and combine performance

This year’s quarterback class is absolutely loaded, but it would be fair to say that there is one who stands somewhat apart from the rest. The Trojans star is both talented and grounded which is why he’s considered the best there is.

Introducing Caleb Williams

It was already clear out of high school that Caleb Williams was going to be a star. A 4-star recruit from Gonzaga High School, Williams was the consensus number-one recruit in the entire country, when he opted to join coach Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma. It was 2021 at the time and Williams began his freshman season as the backup to Spencer Rattler. Things quickly changed, however, when Rattler was benched during a Week 6 Game against Texas. What came next was a Williams-inspired come-from-behind win and with it an opportunity to take over the starting role, something he kept for the remainder of the season.

In that first year, Williams would finish with 1912 passing yards on 212 attempts with a 64.2% completion rate for an average of 9.0 yards per pass, with 21 TDs, while taking 19 sacks. His QB rating was an eye-opening 118.3 as he added 64 rushes for a total of 559 yards at an average of 8.7 per run. Elite indeed. From there Williams took the decision to follow Riley who departed for the head coaching job at USC. It was Williams’ sophomore year and what a year it was. Across 13 Games, he broke records with an unbelievable 4,000 yards on 450 attempts with a completion rate of 66.0% for an average of 9.1 yards per pass. His 37 TDs and QB rating of 118.6 were once again a testament to the idea that he was a star in the making. The 90 rushes for 614 yards on an average of 6.8 per rush didn’t hurt either.

Ok, but let’s talk about Caleb Williams’ qualities not quantities

Often compared to Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Williams has demonstrated an elite overall arm talent as well as an incredible rushing game at an early stage in his career. As you can probably see from the numbers above, he’s also shown he’s not hype, but true substance. Then, there is his leadership which is by all accounts exemplary. Lastly, we’ve got to mention his very makeup which is to say that Williams is as pure an athlete as they come. Loose-limbed, flexible, able to be accurate even when off balance, and without doubt a major threat on the scramble, it’s easy to see why he’s the best player in college football right now.

What awards has Caleb Williams won?

While the list is extensive, it’s worth having a look so as to have a true appreciation for the special player that is Caleb Williams. It’s also worth noting that he’s one of this year’s Heisman Trophy candidates, which is something considering that he won the award last year.

2024 Combine

Many were surprised when Caleb Williams opted out of the Combine. His reasoning was solid, however, saying that it could not do him any good and potentially could only do harm to his prospects in the Draft. Williams put paid to the rumor that there was an injury keeping him out of the workout, saying, “So for the medical stuff, I’ll be doing the medical stuff, just not here in Indy. You know, not 32 teams can draft me. There’s only one of me. And so the teams that I go to for my visit, you know those teams will have the medical and that’ll be it.”

For those who wanted to see him throw, he said, “I didn’t feel the need to go out and throw. I played around 30-some games, I believe. Go ahead and watch real live ball with me and see how I am as a competitor.”