Due to his outstanding performance, Caleb Williams had already amassed a sizable following before entering the NFL. Before the 2023 NFL draft, many of his supporters—including some coaches—stamped the names of the USC stars, also comparing him with the kanas City Chiefs’ star quarterback.
Williams was selected multiple times to PFF’s “Team of the Week” and “True Freshman of the Week” lists and was ranked No. 1 on their list of the top 101 players for the 2022 college football season. His incredible arm strength earned him the title of “Superman” in high school.
Why were the NFL scouts so complimentary of Caleb Williams?
Caleb was a giant falcon during his starting career, winning the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week twice after only making three starts. The 20-year-old set new USC records for passing yards (4,919), total touchdowns (52), and passing touchdowns (42) as well. In 2021, he completed 136 of 211 passes (64.5%), resulting in 1,912 yards, 21 touchdowns, and only four interceptions.
The USC star has the lowest percentage of interceptions in USC history (1%). Many coaches compared his abilities with those of two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes due to his phenomenal performance at such a young age.
“He is really good. His arm is special. His play extension is special. His throw selection is special,” a quarterbacks coach said. “He takes care of the ball well. The throws he makes … it’s not just the off-platform throws, it’s a lot of creating lanes for himself to throw. He’s the closest I’ve seen to Mahomes. He’s like a refined Mahomes. It’s hard to compare anybody to Mahomes, but he really does play like him. I don’t think his arm is quite like that, but it’s definitely special for college. It’s not quite as freaky as Pat’s, but it’s upper-level for the NFL.”
Similar to how Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to victory in the Super Bowl in February, the young star led OU to the most significant comeback triumph in Red River Showdown history vs. Texas.
“He’s special in terms of improvising,” stated another coach. “He has a cannon and he does some Mahomes things. He’s extremely accurate off of his back foot and on the run. He needs to keep working on throwing on time and getting on rhythm. He doesn’t have the speed of Kyler Murray, and at the next level, I don’t think he’s gonna be able to run away from linebackers like he can at the college level.”
The most coveted individual award in college football was won by the 21-year-old in his first season with the Trojans when he was awarded the 2022 Heisman Trophy.
The NFL scouts have compared the quarterback with Mahomes because of his athletic ability and spontaneous abilities as he gradually establishes a name for himself. Even though he still needs to establish himself in order to become a Chiefs star, CW has already established a stellar, record-breaking career that will undoubtedly be helpful to him in the 2023 draft.
