Will Caleb Williams return to USC next season?

Will Caleb Williams return to USC next season?

Over the past few weeks, USC star football quarterback Caleb Williams has been in the spotlight for two reasons. One, for playing out of his mind, and two for potentially returning to USC if he doesn’t like the team he is drafted to.

Now, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner has doubled down on his previous statement, even getting his dad involved in the situation.

Williams is considered the consensus No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft–being compared to the likes of two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes. Though Williams has denied the Mahomes comparison, his own coach at USC sees the comparisons.

“There are some similarities,” Lincoln Riley said, according to Connor Morrissette of 247Sports. “I think some of the vision and some of the creative arm angles. Also, the ability to get the ball out is similar.”

While Williams hasn’t openly said who he doesn’t want to go to, it is deemed pretty obvious who his potential team could be: The Arizona Cardinals. Arizona is seen as the bottom dog in the NFL right now with problems with Kyler Murray at QB, all signs point to tanking for Williams.

Carl Williams, Caleb’s dad, has taken the mic to back up his son’s stance on the upcoming NFL draft.

“The funky thing about the NFL draft process is, he’d almost be better off not being drafted than being drafted first,” Carl Williams told GQ’s Sam Schube. “The system is completely backwards. The way the system is constructed, you go to the worst possible situation. The worst possible team, the worst organization in the league—because of their desire for parity—gets the first pick. So it’s the gift and the curse.

“He’s got two shots at the apple. So if there’s not a good situation, the truth is, he can come back to school.

“The organization matters.”

Carl Williams would be right, the organization does matter for a quarterback coming into the NFL. But that’s not how it works in the draft. The idea is to level the playing field by having the worst teams pick first and the best teams pick last.

Trevor Lawrence didn’t complain when the Jaguars selected him, and now they’re one of the best teams in the AFC. Joe Burrow didn’t care where he went. When the Bengals took him, they were awful. Now they’re perennial contenders for a Super Bowl.

Is the Williams family in the right here? Or should Williams suck it up? Let us know in the comments down below.

***

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Click here for more College Football content