Caleb Williams’ ‘generational talent’ shined brightest in games he couldn’t save USC originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
INDIANAPOLIS — Caleb Williams’ bad games, and even some of his good ones, have been picked apart over the last handful of months as teams, scouts, draft experts, reporters, and fans try to decipher if he should be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Bears.
You’ve seen the games that have been under the microscope. There was the tough night in South Bend, Ind., against Notre Dame. There was the shootout loss to Washington that led to Williams crying in the stands alongside his mother. There were the two end-of-season losses to Oregon and UCLA in which Williams was constantly under siege behind USC’s putrid offensive line.
In those four losses (USC finished the regular season 7-5), Williams completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 1,186 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions while being sacked 16 times.
They weren’t the finest games of Williams’ career. But even in games where elite defensive lines hounded him, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner left his opponents amazed by his talents.
“Caleb Williams? Man, I played him in 2021 Alamo Bowl, and he beat us, so there was definitely some animosity there, and I had to get him,” Oregon defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “But he’s like a Patrick Mahomes-type player. Extends plays with his feet, does a great job of getting the ball out, has a great arm throwing it deep.
“He’s annoying and he’s one of those players like Kyler Murray when he’s running around in the backfield. Man, I love how he plays.”
While Dorlus and Oregon kept Wiliams and USC’s offense in check for most of the game — he completed just 55.9 percent of his passes in the Trojans’ 36-27 loss — Washington had a much tougher…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/caleb-williams-generational-talent-shined-214222437.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-02-28 21:42:22
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