USC quarterback Caleb Williams declares for NFL draft

Caleb Williams declared for the NFL draft Monday, officially ending his celebrated college career that included winning a Heisman Trophy at USC.

The quarterback is expected to be among the top players selected in April’s draft after he threw for 8,170 yards and 72 touchdowns in his two-year USC career with head coach Lincoln Riley. Williams won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in his first year with the Trojans, becoming the program’s eighth Heisman winner, after transferring from Oklahoma.

Despite not playing in the USC’s bowl game on Dec. 27, Williams did not make his NFL decision public until Monday, the deadline for prospects to enter their name into the draft. The delay sparked speculation he was trying to steer which team might draft him or weighing a return to school. He posted a message on social media thanking his family, teammates and coaches.

Williams faced challenges following up on his Heisman-winning season, with USC losing five of its final six 2023 regular season games. Despite the loss of key teammates, he averaged 303 passing yards and 3.4 total touchdowns per game this season, which wasn’t far off his Heisman campaign of 324 passing yards and 3.71 total touchdowns per game in 2022.