USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams joined the list of Heisman Trophy winners in 2022. While his primary goal this season is for the Trojans to finish atop the college football rankings, he could also prove himself as a generational talent in the eyes of NFL teams.
While Week 1 of the 2023 college football schedule is still a few weeks away, many have already scouted Williams heavily. He’s the leader in the Heisman Watch heading into the regular season, with scouts and coaches raving about his talent.
- Caleb Williams stats (2022): 168.5 QB rating, 42-5 TD-INT, 4,537 pass yards, 10 rushing TDs
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During an appearance on the NFL’s Move the Sticks podcast, the former Stanford Cardinal head coach said that Williams is the best quarterback he’s seen in college football since Andrew Luck played for him.
“There’s only one 10 out of 10 that I’ve seen, and that’s Andrew Luck. When Trevor Lawrence came out, I thought he was the best since Andrew. Caleb Williams is the best since Andrew.”
David Shaw on where Caleb Williams ranks among the top quarterback prospects in the modern era
Shaw knows what separated Luck from other elite quarterbacks, getting a first-hand account of everything that made the star quarterback a special player and leader. He coached Luck while serving as Stanford’s offensive coordinator and after seeing Williams live and scouting him, he sees similarities.
Shaw isn’t the only one to put Williams in historic company. Some have compared the Trojans’ starting quarterback to Patrick Mahomes, while other anonymous scouts and NFL executives view him as a generational talent.
It’s why so much of the spotlight is on Williams heading into the 2023 season. If he repeats his production from last season and becomes an even more refined passer, multiple NFL teams will be competing for the No. 1 pick and it will be the most coveted selection in years.
Related: Caleb Williams compared to Patrick Mahomes
Naturally, there are no perfect NFL comparisons that can be made. Each player has different skills, strengths and weaknesses. However, Shaw does believe Williams’ physical abilities are remarkably similar to some of the best NFL quarterbacks.
“He’s got Luck’s accuracy, but he’s got the build of Jalen Hurts. Just getting a guy to the quarterback means nothing. [Williams] is either going to [break tackles] or he’s going to make the guy miss and run for 40 yards. He can mitigate the issues with the entire offense.”
David Shaw on his NFL comparison for Caleb Williams
It’s been previously reported that there are some fears around the league about teams tanking for Williams. However, heading into the 2023 season, only the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams are viewed as rebuilding clubs who are competing for the No. 1 pick.
As long as Williams stays healthy, he’ll likely be viewed as the best player in the 2024 NFL Draft class. However, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is higher on some preliminary draft boards and could be the consensus top quarterback if he shows more improvement.
