Caleb Williams, a quarterback for USC, is widely seen as the best quarterback prospect for the 2021 class.
In addition, the outstanding college football player is predicted to be selected first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Who is Caleb Williams?
The USC Trojans’ quarterback, Caleb Williams, was born in Washington, DC, on November 18, 2001.
He was a sophomore at Gonzaga College High School, where he contributed to the team’s 2018 WCAC Championship win.
He was also named the Washington DC Gatorade Football Player of the Year and a member of the Washington Post All-Metropolitan First team in that same year.
Williams won the MVP award at the Elite 11 Finals in 2020.
Which college teams have Caleb Williams played for?
Caleb Williams chose the Oklahoma Sooners over LSU and Maryland as his final two teams before transferring to USC.
He announced on his Sports Illustrated All on the Line blog in January 2021 that he was enrolled at both Gonzaga and Oklahoma.
“This has been my dream, to be in this position, and I smile every time I look at my schedule or think about it. I have a little smirk on my face,” he penned.
“This is what I’ve always wanted and it’s a big step towards my continued pursuit of this dream that I have.”
However, in 2022, the star quarterback announced that he was transferring to USC, primarily because of his decision to follow his former coach, Lincoln Riley.
“I wanted to go somewhere I thought would provide me with the best development both on and off the field,” he told ESPN.
“Getting to know Coach Riley and gaining familiarity with his offense definitely played a part in my selection, as well as already knowing some the guys on the team.”
Williams only initially planned on playing three years of college football before going to the pros, but he admitted that he might just play it by ear.
“That’s for sure now going to be an in-the-moment decision at the end of the year,” he told the outlet.
“It’s my third year, and the dream and goal was to go three-and-out. Being around these guys and in college and enjoying it, we’ll have to see at the end of this year.”
What has he said about mental health?
Working with fellow USC students and the Seize the Awkward team on this PSA allowed me to share how important mental health awareness is in my life, especially through my experiences as a student-athlete,” he noted.
“I hope everyone sees the importance of supporting your friends and what a huge difference that can make in someone’s life.”
Caleb Williams collaborated with the Seize the Awkward initiative in 2022 to increase mental health awareness.
The famous athlete emphasized how crucial it is for young people to be honest with their friends about how their mental health is doing.
He also said: “I want to be a voice, be a brother for whoever is dealing with [mental health] challenges.
“I’m not different. We all go through some struggles. Depending on who you are, you take things different. I’m trying to be there for whoever I can.”
Williams also launched the Caleb Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting against bullying.
“Caleb Cares, it’s been really cool and eye-opening for me to go through this process. It’s anti-bullying and mental health attacking that side of it,” he said of his project.
“The main reason we choose that is because, in recent years, the percentage of mental health and bullying has gone up.
“Whether it’s online or in-person, we want to attack that, and I thought it’d be a cool, unique way to be able to do so, and being so young has been really cool for me to see 10-12-year-olds listen to me at 21 years old.”