Football | April 25, 2024
DETROIT—USC Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams was selected No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday (April 25).
With Williams’ No. 1 overall selection, USC now holds the record for most players (6) selected as the top pick of the NFL draft. Williams joins Ron Yary (1968), O.J. Simpson (1969), Ricky Bell (1977), Keyshawn Johnson (1996) and Carson Palmer (2003) as No. 1 overall picks to come out of Troy.
In addition to being the only head coach to tutor three Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks, USC head coach Lincoln Riley now holds the record for most quarterbacks coached who have been selected at No. 1 all-time (Baker Mayfield in 2018, Kyler Murray in 2019 and Williams in 2024). In seven years as a head coach, Riley is now also tied for the most No. 1 overall draft selections coached at any position with Georgia’s Wally Butts (Frank Sinkwich in 1943, Charley Trippi in 1945 and Harry Babcock in 1953) who coached the Bulldogs from 1939 to 1960.
Williams is USC’s 524th all-time NFL draftee. USC is second behind Notre Dame’s 525 for most NFL Draft picks. He is also USC’s 86th first rounder, second-most behind Ohio State’s 90. He extends USC’s streak of having a draftee every year since 1939. USC maintains the longest active streak (23 years) of any collegiate program with a player drafted in the Top 3 rounds. USC also has the most picks in the common draft era (since 1967), with 358 (next is Ohio State’s 337 and Notre Dame’s 311).
This is the fifth consecutive year that USC has had a first round pick: wide receiver Jordan Addison was the No. 23 overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, wide receiver Drake London was the No. 8 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 Draft, offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker was selected 14th overall in 2021 by the New York Jets and offensive tackle Austin Jackson was the 2020 Draft’s 18th pick by the Miami Dolphins.
Williams is the seventh Trojan quarterback drafted since 2000, including five in the top two rounds.
He is the first Trojan selected by the Bears since defensive back Rashard Cook was selected in the sixth round with the 184th overall pick in 1999.
Williams had a record-breaking career while at USC. He leaves Troy holding 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), most rushing and passing plays (613), lowest rate of interceptions (1%, 5 in 500 attempts) and highest passing efficiency rating (168.5). He is tied for the USC single-season record for most consecutive 5-touchdown pass games with 2 (tied with Sam Darnold in 2016 and Kedon Slovis in 2020). He holds the USC single-game record for most yards running and passing (503 vs. UCLA in 2022). His 382 rushing yards in 2022 were the most by a Trojan quarterback in the last 70 years when complete records were first available. He leaves USC fifth on USC’s career total offense leaderboard (8,688 yards) and eighth on career passing (599 completions).
In 2023, Williams led Riley’s high-powered brand of offense, resulting in USC ranking No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense (41.8), No. 3 in team passing efficiency (170.88), No. 5 in passing offense (333.0) and No. 10 in total offense (467.6). Williams ranked in the national Top 20 in points responsible for per game, points responsible for, passing efficiency, passing yards per game, passing touchdowns, yards per pass attempt, total offense, passing yards, completion percentage, passing yards per completion and completions per game. He went 266-for-388 (.686) for 3,633 yards and 30 TDs with just 5 INTs. Williams also rushed for 121 yards on 99 carries (1.2 avg.) with 11 TDs. He accounted for 41 total TDs (both passing and running) in 12 games. He also tallied 1 reception for 15 yards.
After transferring from Oklahoma in the spring of 2022, Williams was instrumental in successfully turning around a program that went 4-8 in the 2021 season to an 11-3 team in 2022. The 7-victory increase from 2021 matches the biggest one-season turnaround in USC history. The other 7-game improvement was when the 1962 National Champion Trojans won 11 games after winning only 4 in the 1962 season.
Williams had a historic 2022 season as the starting quarterback at USC which culminated in him being named the 88th recipient of the Heisman Trophy. He is USC’s eighth winner of college football’s most prestigious award. Williams joined an impressive fraternity of Trojan greats who have earned his award before him: Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Matt Leinart (2004) and Reggie Bush (2005). He was named the 2022 Walter Camp Player of the Year (joining 5 other Trojans to have been so honored, Simpson in 1967 and 1968, White in 1979, Allen in 1981, Leinart in 2004 and Bush in 2005).
He was also named the 2022 AP Player of the Year (joining Leinart in 2004 and Bush in 2005). He won the 2022 Maxwell Award, presented to the best player in college football (joining Simpson in 1968, White in 1979 and Allen in 1981). He was named the 2022 Sporting News College Football Player of the Year (joining Simpson 1968, White, 1979, Allen 1981, Palmer, 2002 and Bush 2005). He was also named the 2022 CBS Sports Player of the Year, the 2022 Action Sports Player of the Year, the 2022 CFPA National Performer of the Year and the 2022 DC Touchdown Club Player of the Year. He was a Unanimous All-American being selected to the First Team for AP, Football Coaches, Football Writers, Walter Camp and Sporting News. He was selected as the 2022 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the 2022 All-Pac-12 First Team, the AP All-Pac-12 First Team and the Phil Steele All-Pac-12 First Team. Overall in 2022, he completed 333-of-500 passes (.666) for 4,537 yards and 42 TDs with just 5 INTs, plus he rushed for 382 yards on 113 carries (3.4 avg.) with 10 TDs. He also recorded 2 punts for 84 yards (42.0 avg.) with a long of 58 yards. He was first nationally in passing TDs (42, first in Pac-12) and points responsible for per game (22.3, first in Pac-12). He was third nationally in passing yards (4.537) and fourth nationally in passing yards per game (324.1). He was fifth nationally in passing efficiency (168.5, first in Pac-12) and total offense (351.4). He was seventh nationally in yards per pass attempt (9.07, first in Pac-12).
He dazzled the nation with his elusive moves, powerful arm and thrilling runs. Throughout his USC career, he recorded 72 TDs and only 10 INTs. He went 599-for-888 (.675) for 8,170 yards. Williams also rushed for 503 yards on 212 carries (2.8 avg.) with 21 TDs. He accounted for 93 total TDs (both passing and running) in 26 games as a Trojan.
Williams, who enrolled at Oklahoma in the spring of 2021 after graduating a semester early from high school, emerged as the Sooners’ starting quarterback by mid-season and proved to be one of the nation’s premier freshmen in 2021. Overall in 2021 while appearing in 11 games (all but West Virginia and Nebraska) and starting the last 7 contests (TCU, Kansas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Oregon), he completed 136-of-211 passes (64.5%) for 1,912 yards and 21 TDs with 4 interceptions and he ran for 442 yards on 79 carries (5.6 avg) with 6 TDs. His 1,670 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns were the most ever by an OU true freshman. He had 200-plus passing yards 5 times, 3-plus passing TDs 4 times and 2-plus passing TDs 6 times.
He was a 2021 True Freshman All-American by ESPN, 247Sports, On3 and Pro Football Focus. He also was a 2021 semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback and FWAA’s Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year awards. He made 2021 AP All-Big 12 second team and All-Big 12 honorable mention by the league’s coaches.
The 2024 NFL Draft continues with the second and third rounds on Friday (April 26) and then concludes with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday (April 27).