Caleb Williams is one of the top prospects in American college football in the 2024 NFL Draft. The winner of Heisman Trophy winner (in 2022), Caleb Williams is currently playing for the University of Southern California. Sports Illustrated named Williams as the number 1 recruit in the class of 2021 and was the topmost-rated quarterback in college football. He has been deemed a 5-star prospect who can achieve great success once drafted in the NFL.
Williams was born in Washington D.C. and attended Gonzaga College High School. Initially enrolled in the University of Oklahoma, Caleb Williams made the switch to the University of California in 2022. He has already broken records and established a name for himself with his exemplary performances. The star college quarterback is one of the best in the NCAA.
Caleb Williams is not only making moves on the field but off the field too. The quarterback is a big social media personality with a fine fashion sense. He is already taking great steps as a young footballer with many entrepreneurial ventures that will help him secure his finances. It is no surprise that Caleb Williams is expected to become a huge football star.
Also Read: Who are the parents of Caleb Williams?
Caleb Williams at Gonzaga College High School
Caleb Williams was born on November 18, 2001, in Washington D.C. He attended Gonzaga College High School where he started his football journey. Williams was first noticed when he led the school to the WCAC Championship as a sophomore in 2018. The Washington Post named Williams in the All-Metropolitan First Team. He was also named the Washington D.C. Gatorade Football Player of the Year after he passed for 2,624 passing yards with 26 touchdowns and rushed for 394 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His role in the 2018 high school game between Gonzaga and DeMatha has been dubbed as one of the most intriguing finishes in a game of football. Gonzaga was down by 20 points against their rivals. It was Caleb Williams who spearheaded the comeback for his team. With less than a minute left on the clock, Gonzaga was still down by three points. After being stalled by an offensive pass interference and a sack, Williams had to complete the initial escape attempt on a third-and-33. Before throwing his receiver a pass downfield, he moved around the pocket.
A few plays later, Gonzaga took its first lead of the game on an end-zone fade. That was only fleeting since DeMatha returned the subsequent kickoff for a score, giving Gonzaga and Williams only 15 seconds to pull off a miraculous recovery. The Hail Mary pass made by Caleb Williams eventually won Gonzaga the game in the final moments. The video below is testimony to the grit and skill of Caleb Williams on display.
Caleb was named in the Washington Post All-Metropolitan 1st team for the second consecutive year after he passed for 1,770 yards with 19 touchdowns and rushed for 838 yards with 18 touchdowns. He was named the Elite 11 MVP too. His senior year season in high school was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams was named the highest-rated high school quarterback prospect in his year.
Caleb at the University of Oklahoma
Having already established himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the country, Caleb Williams committed to play college football for the University of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Sooners Football has given Pro Football Hall of Famers like Tommy McDonald and Lee Roy Selmon. Caleb Williams had the dream of joining their ranks with the Sooners being one of the best college football teams in the country.
Caleb Williams truly evolved his game when playing for the Sooners. He became more poised in pressure situations and handled the game with ease. His calmness during pass rushes is admirable and he even transformed into a leader on-field. He was originally a backup to Spencer Rattler. However, he replaced Rattler midway in Gameweek 6 against the Sooners’ rivals the Texas Longhorns. When Williams took over for Rattler in that game, Oklahoma was down 17-35 before the Sooners went on to win 55-48.
Towards the end, he had 212 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 88 rushing yards, and a rushing score. The next week, Williams made his starting debut against Texas Christian University and led Oklahoma to a 52-31 victory by throwing for 295 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 66 yards and a rushing touchdown. Caleb Williams finished his freshman season on a high, scoring 21 passing touchdowns, 6 rushing touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.
Caleb Williams at the University of Southern California (USC)
Caleb Williams joined USC on February 1, 2022, where he is majoring in Communications and holds a GPA of 3.29. This field often encompasses areas such as mass media, journalism, public relations, advertising, digital media, and interpersonal communication. With a GPA of 3.49, he is performing well in his studies along with sports. He was the first high-profile free agent in the history of college football before transferring to USC. Williams had a remarkable 2022 season as USC's starting quarterback after transferring from Oklahoma in the spring of 2022, culminating in being voted the 88th Heisman Trophy winner. He is the seventh player to earn the most prestigious award in college football for USC.
Williams joined a group of glorious past USC Trojans’ recipients of the Award, including Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Matt Leinart (2004), and Reggie Bush (2005, later vacated). He received the Walter Camp Player of the Year award for 2022 as well. Williams is set to play his second season with the USC Trojans in 2023 and looks to develop into an even better player in the coming years.