USC QB and top 2024 NFL Draft prospect Caleb Williams helped lead his Trojans to a win over an upset-minded California Golden Bears team in Week 9. What’s the latest on his 2024 NFL Draft stock after this outing, and where does he stand in the QB1 race?
Caleb Williams Helps Lead Comeback Win Over California in Week 9
At the half in Week 9 against the California Golden Bears, the USC Trojans were down 28-17.
They eventually came back to earn a 50-49 win over their conference rival in a shootout. And Caleb Williams — the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — played a hand in making it happen.
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On the day, Williams completed 23 of 40 attempts for 369 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, and he also added two touchdowns on the ground.
Williams had help, especially in the second half. A few special-teams miscues tipped the scales in USC’s favor, and running backs MarShawn Lloyd and Austin Jones combined for 152 yards and three touchdowns. But Williams did his part to bring the outcome into motion.
Williams served several tight-window throws, including a perfect hole show on a slot fade to the deep third, where he layered velocity and arc with his high-level arm talent, placing the ball where only his receiver could reach.
Williams hasn’t been perfect over the past few weeks, but he also hasn’t had a lot of help. The Trojans’ defense has been much maligned for its inability to stop opposing offenses, and Lincoln Riley’s offense also lacks great variability and fails to give Williams outlets on vertical concepts.
To be clear, Williams still has room to improve in-structure. His field vision on short concepts can still improve, and there are still instances where he passes up open targets in search of deep opportunities.
But despite all this, Williams is still a viable candidate for QB1 in the 2024 NFL Draft with his hyper-elite creation capacity and arm talent. Drake Maye has his warts as well, and the decision for teams may ultimately come down to personal preference, character evaluations, and projected durability.