Why did Caleb Williams transfer from Oklahoma? Presumed No. 1 NFL Draft pick followed Lincoln Riley to USC

Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY NETWORK

There is next to zero question the Chicago Bears will take former Oklahoma football quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

In fact, the Bears traded former No. 1 overall pick Justin Fields to remove any doubt about their intentions at the most important position on the football field. Williams is regarded as one of the best prospects coming out of college since Andrew Luck, according to some analysts.

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Williams is expected to be the first quarterback taken in a deep quarterback draft, with LSU Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, North Carolina wunderkind Drake Maye, and Michigan national champion J.J. McCarthy as others likely to be taken in the first round. Two more quarterbacks in Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix are in the conversation to be selected later in the first round.

Williams, as Oklahoma fans will remember, was the third highest-rated player in program history, and started the final seven games of his freshman season under coach Lincoln Riley. Williams then followed Riley to USC.

Here's why Williams transferred from Oklahoma to USC, including a scouting report, draft combine results and his recruitment from high school:

Why did Caleb Williams transfer to USC?

Williams started the final seven games of the 2021 season for Oklahoma, passing for 1,912 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, four interceptions, 442 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns. Following the season, Riley was hired as the USC head coach on Nov. 28, 2021. Williams eventually followed his coach, Lincoln Riley, and chose the Trojans over UCLA, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin as his transfer destination. Riley had coached

"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," Williams said.

Caleb Williams high school

Williams saw his senior season at Gonzaga College High School canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that did not impact what he did during his high school career. Williams was named the Washington Post All-Metropolitan 1st team and Washington, D.C. Gatorade Football Player of the Year his sophomore season after he led Gonzaga to a WCAC Championship and threw for 2,624 yards, 26 touchdowns and added 394 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. He had 1,770 yards passing, 19 passing touchdowns, 838 rushing yards, and 18 rushing touchdowns during his junior season.

Caleb Williams recruit ranking

With a grade of 0.9969, Williams was the 102nd-best prospect in 247Sports Composite Rankings history coming out of the 2020 recruiting class. He was the No. 7 overall recruit and the No. 2 QB behind Quinn Ewers. On July 4, 2020, Williams announced his commitment to the Sooners over finalists in Maryland and LSU. Williams became the third-highest-rated commit in OU history, per 247Sports, with only Adrian Peterson and Rhett Bomar ranking ahead of him.

Caleb combine results, measurables

  • Height: 6-foot-1 ⅛ inches

  • Weight: 214 pounds

  • Hand size: 9.75 inches

  • Arm span: 32 inches

  • Wing span: 75.88 inches

  • 40-yard dash: Did Not Participate

  • Bench press (225 pounds): Did Not Participate

  • Vertical jump: Did Not Participate

  • Broad jump: Did Not Participate

  • 3-cone drill: Did Not Participate

  • Shuttle run: Did Not Participate

Caleb Williams stats

Here is a year-by-year look at Verse's stats at Oklahoma and with USC.

  • Career: 735-for-1,099 (66.9%) passing, 10,082 career passing yards, 93 career passing touchdowns, 14 career interceptions, 169.3 career passer rating; 966 career rushing yards and 27 career rushing touchdowns

  • 2021: 136-for-211 (64.5%) passing, 1,912 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 169.6 passer rating; 442 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns

  • 2022: 333-for-500 (66.6%) passing, 4,537 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 168.5 passer rating; 382 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns

  • 2023: 266-for-388 (68.6%) passing, 3,633 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 180.1 passer rating; 142 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns

Caleb Williams scouting report

NFL.com gives Coleman a 6.74 prospect grade, which means he is a Day 1 starter. Draft analyst Lance Zierlein gives him an NFL comparison to former Oklahoma QB and current Arizona Cardinal Kyler Murray. Here's what NFL.com says about his scouting report.

"Williams’ play is highlighted by rare escapability paired with the talent to exploit defenses once the play breaks down. He’s not tall, but he is well-built, with an arm to challenge defenses across the field. He can be a high-impact playmaker on the go or an effective pocket passer when he allows himself to trust his eyes on second and third reads. He can improve his accuracy and placement on intermediate and deep throws, but he’s unlikely to be known for pinpoint accuracy. It is admirable that he looks to keep his eyes up and make throws outside the pocket, but he’ll make things easier on himself early in his pro career by becoming a more decisive scrambler to move the sticks and carry on to the next set of downs. Williams is tremendously talented but often bites off too much responsibility and plays off-schedule. He has a good chance to hit new heights with a surrounding cast he trusts, but greater self-discipline and a well-structured offense might be needed to help him become a quarterback who can elevate a franchise to championship contention."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why did Caleb Williams transfer from Oklahoma?

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