Caleb Williams, QB USC: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Williams was a five-star recruit from Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. in the class of 2021

USC quarterback Caleb Williams would’ve been the top selection this past month if he was draft-eligible. The superstar junior has all the physical tools to lock up the first overall spot in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Caleb Williams, QB USC: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior quarterback from Washington, D.C.

Background: Williams was a five-star recruit from Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 7 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 6 for Rivals, and No. 7 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 16th in the nation (four-star) with an 89 grade out of 100. He committed to Oklahoma over offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, and other major Power Five programs. Williams followed head coach Lincoln Riley to USC for the 2022 season. Gonzaga High School didn’t play in 2020 because of COVID-19. During his high school junior season, Williams passed for 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 838 yards and 18 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he was the District of Columbia Gatorade Football Player of the Year and a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American. He passed for 2,624 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran for 394 yards and ten touchdowns that season. Williams capped his 2018 campaign by scoring six touchdowns in a late-game win in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference finals. He was an All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference selection twice and took home MVP honors in 2019. Williams was the 2020 Elite 11 Finals MVP and a 2021 All-American Bowl invitee. He made the 2022 Allstate AFCA Goodworks Team for actions like creating the Caleb Cares Foundation, which promotes causes like anti-bullying, mental health awareness, and youth development. Williams volunteered at a homeless shelter and a senior citizen’s center in his high school days.

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a hamstring injury in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship game

Awards: 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big 12, 2021 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year (FWAA), 2022 First Team All-Pac-12, 2022 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner, 2022 AP Player of the Year, 2022 Maxwell Award Winner, 2022 Walter Camp Player of the Year, 2022 First Team All-American

Pros: Quick release, throwing motion is fairly compact, creative arm angles and slots, fires throws with good velocity to the sideline, drives ball with velocity into small windows, ball explodes off his hand, really unleashed arm talent when playing injured against Utah (2022), layers the ball between the second and third level, applies touch on deep throws and red zone fades, steps into throws with ideal weight transfer, promising examples of stepping up and remaining in the pocket, delivers pinpoint throws with defenders in his face, comfortable throwing on the run, extends plays, playmaker mentality, high-level escape ability, accurate on the move with terrific velocity, scrambles but keeps his eyes downfield, mobility to make crucial plays on the ground, speed to separate from defensive linemen and edge rushers, steps through arm tackles, elusive runner who makes impressive cuts, great change of direction skills, beginning to slide more often to protect himself, examples of working through full-field reads all the way to the checkdown, gets through reads with good timing, effective salesmanship and decision-making on RPOs, throws blocks for his teammates, guts it out when injured, high-character and beloved by teammates

Cons: Footwork becomes stagnant, base is sometimes too wide, consistently holds the ball for more than 3.2 seconds, double clutches or pats the ball more often than necessary, 17 fumbles in the past two seasons, loose with the football when scrambling, heavy reliance on athleticism, retreats too far and freelances too much, sometimes it’s safer to throw the ball away, playmaker mentality leads to high variance in the NFL, playstyle opens him to big hits and risk of injury, challenges double coverage at poor times, vision doesn’t always reveal lurking safeties or undercutting defensive backs, lack of touch on some intermediate throws leads to interceptions by underneath defenders, benefits from the Lincoln Riley bump and transfer portal stacking USC

Overview: Williams has a quick release and fairly compact throwing motion. He throws with creative arm angles to speed up his release or get the ball around defenders. The ball explodes off Williams’ hand with excellent velocity. His pure arm talent shined when he played on one healthy leg against Utah in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game and couldn’t drive the ball with his lower body. The Heisman Trophy winner layers his throws between the second and third level defenders and applies touch on deep throws and red zone fades. His base becomes wide and his footwork is stagnant at times, but he usually steps into throws with ideal weight transfer. Williams improved his play and poise within the pocket as the 2022 season progressed. However, he’s more well-known for making plays outside of structure. The former five-star recruit has high-level escape ability and a playmaker mentality that leads to big gains on extended plays. He is comfortable and accurate throwing on the run, applying terrific velocity by torquing his body. Williams often keeps his eyes downfield while scrambling to look for an open receiver before taking off. He has the speed to separate from defensive linemen and edge rushers and the elusiveness and change of direction skills to make defenders miss in space. There are examples of Williams quickly working through full-field reads before getting to his checkdown. The junior is a high-character, tough leader who is willing to battle through pain. There are some concerns that he’ll invite big hits, negative plays, and injuries with his style. He consistently holds the ball for over three seconds and freelances. Williams retreats too far in the pocket and is loose with the football when he scrambles. He has 17 fumbles in the past two seasons. The former Oklahoma Sooner heavily relies on his athleticism but is still developing as a pocket passer. Williams challenges double coverage at poor times, and his vision doesn’t always reveal lurking safeties or undercutting defensive backs. There are times when his lack of touch on intermediate throws leads to interceptions by linebackers or box defensive backs.

Overall, Williams is a projected early first round selection because of his athletic playmaking style, creativity, and impressive passing velocity. He will face some challenges transitioning from USC and Lincoln Riley’s offense to the NFL, but the Heisman Trophy winner has the raw traits to be an impact player early in his pro career.

Role & Scheme Fit: Mobile passer in a spread offense

Round Projection: Top Ten Pick

Size: 6'1", 220 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 03-23-23