Why Caleb Williams is the best QB in college football and the Heisman front-runner

.@DonJamesSports explains why Caleb Williams is the leader in the #Heisman race and should be No. 1 on voters’ ballots. #USC

Prior to this season, USC football had been through a rough stretch to say the least. The USC Trojans have won only one Pac-12 title since Pete Carroll left after the 2009 season. That one time came in 2017. The only time USC finished anywhere close to the top of the national rankings in the post-Carroll era was one season earlier in 2016, when Sam Darnold led a comeback win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl. After that it’s been a portrait of mediocrity with no return to glory for the Trojans. The 2021 season was an especially low point for the Trojans. They finished 4-8 for their worst record since 1991. Clay Helton was fired two games into the season.

Now, USC is firmly back in the national championship conversation, largely thanks to Caleb Williams and new head coach Lincoln Riley. The Trojans are 10-1 this season and likely just two wins away from the College Football Playoff. They have also already clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game and are in the driver’s seat to win the conference for the first time since 2017.

A huge key to USC football’s resurgence has been Caleb Williams’ ability to turn it on when the lights are bright. He has played his best in the biggest moments. He gives the Trojans a chance to win every time. He had an outstanding game in USC’s 43-42 loss against Utah on Oct. 15, throwing for 381 yards and five touchdowns while fighting to the end.

Then, against UCLA on Saturday, Williams had the game of his life. He completed 32-of-43 passes for 470 yards, a career-high mark, and two touchdowns. He scored another touchdown on the ground. If Williams isn’t at the top of his game, the Trojans would not have won this 48-45 thriller over UCLA.

If the Heisman Trophy was voted on today, I would vote for Caleb Williams. He has USC in the playoff mix as the lone one-loss team left in the Pac-12.

His numbers (35 touchdowns, two interceptions, 63.7 completion percentage) are fantastic, but it’s more than just statistics. The Oklahoma transfer has excelled in his first year at a new school with new teammates and zero margin for error. If USC beats Notre Dame at home and wins the Pac-12 title, it will be one of the more remarkable turnarounds in the modern era of college football.

I predict that the Heisman finalists in New York City will be Drake Maye of North Carolina, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State, Stetson Bennett of Georgia, and Caleb Williams will be the winner. We will see what happens the next two weeks.

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