USC Quarterback Caleb Williams Declares for NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft may have its first overall pick. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams is officially declaring for the NFL Draft, foregoing his senior season with the USC Trojans.

Sources: #USC star QB Caleb Williams, a potential No. 1 overall selection, is declaring for entry into the NFL Draft. No surprise for one of the most talented prospects.

The Heisman trophy winner enters the process excited for whoever ends up selecting him. pic.twitter.com/cKnBzXAFRH
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 15, 2024

Listed by USC at 6'1, 218 lbs, Williams is a slippery quarterback with a penchant for extending plays and a flair for the dramatic. He ends his college career with an impressive 10082 passing yards and 93 to 14 passing touchdown to interception ratio over two seasons at USC and a freshman year at Oklahoma. He also added 966 yards and 27 touchdowns as a runner.

Williams is the latest in a string of quarterbacks under USC head coach Lincoln Riley to enter the NFL as a hot commodity. Williams is the third quarterback under Riley to win the Heisman Trophy, following Baker Mayfield in 2017 and Kyler Murray in 2018. Mayfield and Murray eventually went first overall in the 2018 and 2019 NFL Drafts, and Williams could very well follow in their footsteps this spring.

At the very least, Williams will be at the center of what should be an incredibly dramatic 2024 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears own the first overall pick, and they have a difficult decision to make regarding their current starting quarterback Justin Fields. If they decide to give the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft another shot, the Bears could be in a position to trade the first overall pick.

Beyond that, Williams has his own polarizing traits as a prospect. He has drawn Patrick Mahomes comparisons for his ability to improvise and make off-platform throws, but his production, size, playstyle, and team success at the college level mirror Mayfield much more closely. Given Mayfield's up-and-down career, as well as the recent struggles of undersized, supposedly elusive quarterbacks like Bryce Young and Russell Wilson, Williams' official measurements will bear watching come draft time.