Who is USC Trojans player Caleb Williams?
USC Quarterback Caleb Williams has been dubbed a top quarterback prospect for the class of 2021.
The college football star is also projected as a No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Who is Caleb Williams?
Born on November 18, 2001, in Washington DC, Caleb Williams is a college football quarterback for the USC Trojans.
He attended Gonzaga College High School, where he helped the team clinch the WCAC Championship in 2018 during his sophomore year.
That same year, he was named the Washington Post All-Metropolitan 1st team and Washington DC Gatorade Football Player of the Year.
In 2020, Williams was named the Elite 11 Finals MVP.
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As of 2024, the NFL projects that Williams will be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
The Chicago Bears have the first pick this year and are expected to choose the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner first overall.
Which college teams have Caleb Williams played for?
Prior to his transfer to USC, Caleb Williams committed to the Oklahoma Sooners over other finalists, including LSU and Maryland.
In January 2021, he wrote in his Sports Illustrated All on the Line blog that he was dual-enrolled at both Oklahoma and Gonzaga.
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"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?
In 2022, Caleb Williams partnered with the Seize the Awkward campaign to raise awareness about mental health.
The star athlete highlighted the importance of being young people being open about the state of their mental well-being to their peers.
"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."
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.
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"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.”