USC quarterback Caleb Williams has long been the presumptive favorite to go first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft — if he enters.
Caleb’s father, Carl, turned heads earlier this season when he raised the possibility of the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner returning to USC for his senior season. And Caleb himself claimed recently that his decision on whether to stay in college is no clear-cut thing, telling the Los Angeles Times in a story published Tuesday that it would be “a game-time decision.”
The younger Williams has until Jan. 15 to declare for the 2024 draft.
Despite Williams’ noncommittal comments, he is still widely expected to enter the professional ranks next year. According to the L.A. Times, nobody close to Caleb sees returning to USC as a likely possibility — if they ever did at all.
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Williams also spoke at length for the first time about USC’s disappointing 7-5 season, calling it one of the most important years of his football career.
“I’ve never been in this situation, where I’m 7-5 and there are no playoff hopes at the end of the season,” Williams told the L.A. Times. “I’m dealing with it emotionally, dealing with it spiritually and physically.
“I’ve had to have talks with [USC head coach] Lincoln [Riley] — because obviously I haven’t been through it — or with my family members or people like that, just how to deal with this and lead, how to stay the same person I was before the season or after our first loss or second loss. So it was different. It was a learning process.”
Williams is still the heavy betting favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, as he has been all season. He is currently listed at -300 (bet $10 to win $13.33 total) to go first overall against the field. The player with the next-highest odds to be the first pick in the draft is North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at +250, followed by 2023 Heisman contender Jayden Daniels of LSU at +1600.
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