USC quarterback Caleb Williams is the odds-on favorite to earn his second consecutive Heisman Trophy. The Trojans star will also be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft should he declare.
That’s just how darn good the 6-foot-1 junior is.
San Jose State found this out first-hand in Saturday’s season opener. With USC struggling to break free and the game tied at seven in the second quarter, Williams put up the best play of the young college football season.
After fumbling a snap on first-and-10 from the Trojans’ 24-yard line, Williams reared back and threw an absolute dime to star wide receiver Tahj Washington. You have to see it to believe it.
Yeah, Williams threw the ball from his own 12-yard line while hitting Washington in stride at the San Jose State 40-yard line. We’re talking about 48 yards in the air with velocity pretty much no other college quarterback could even think about putting on a ball.
The Williams to Tahj Washington connection is certainly going to be something to watch this season. A former three-star recruit, Washington caught 50 passes for 785 yards and six touchdowns as a junior last season.
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Caleb Williams stats (2022): 4,537 passing yards, 382 rushing yards, 52 TD, 5 INT
Williams transferred from Oklahoma following the 2021 season, following Lincoln Riley from Norman to Southern California. As you can see, he put up one of the best single-season performances for a quarterback in college football history last season.
Through the first half of Saturday’s season opener, the star quarterback had completed 8-of-11 passes for 134 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions en route to helping the heavily-favored Trojans to a 21-14 lead.