Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams is transferring to USC, joining his coach Lincoln Riley as the new face of the Trojans’ football program.
Williams, a 247 Sports’ five-star recruit in 2021, only spent one season at Oklahoma. He replaced starter Spencer Rattler, now at South Carolina, against Texas and led the Sooners to a dramatic comeback victory. But shortly after Riley left for USC, Williams entered the transfer portal.
The 6-foot-1 quarterback generated interest from the best college football programs in the country, including Georgia and Wisconsin. But the priority for the young quarterback was always finding the spot that would offer him the best shot of reaching the NFL.
Williams informed ESPN on Tuesday that he is enrolling at USC, beginning classes immediately.
“I want to get to work right away, earn the trust of my teammates, win championships and help bring USC back to being a top-rated program.”
QB Caleb Williams on his transfer decision, via ESPN
With former Trojans’ quarterback Jaxson Dart headed to Ole Miss, Williams is the immediate favorite to start in 2022 for Riley.
- Caleb Williams stats: 64.5% completion rate, 1,912 passing yards, 21-4 TD INT ratio, 169.6 QB rating, 442 rushing yards and six touchdowns
Entering his sophomore season, Williams will be an instant 2022 Heisman Trophy candidate. He’ll hope to follow in the footsteps of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, who all turned fantastic seasons in Riley’s offense into a career as an NFL starting quarterback.
