USC Football: What Caleb Williams' Trojan Teammates Think of Star Passer

Eva Geitheim | Apr 18, 2024

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

"Caleb's the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. I guess that speaks for itself," MarShawn Lloyd told reporters after USC's Pro Day.

Lloyd has played football with or against Williams going back to Little League and through high school. He even calls Williams a "big reason" for why he transferred to USC. Despite the support of Lloyd and the rest of the team, there are still doubts and questions surrounding the projected No. 1 pick in this year's draft.

As the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has emerged into the limelight, he's still somewhat of a controversial figure. Sure, he's seen as the No. 1 quarterback — almost unquestioned — but that hasn't stopped some from weighing in on his choices, or wondering if he's the right person to be an NFL franchise's starting quarterback.

Certainly, Williams is unconventional. Whether it's choosing not to have an agent, not undergoing medical testing, or throwing at the combine, Williams is not afraid to do things his way. He's not scared to openly cry, paint his nails, or speak out on mental health, and is one of the biggest stars since the NIL era began in college.

"People are going to say what they're going to say," USC offensive lineman Justin Dedich said. "He's gonna have to stay true to himself, which he always does." 

Still, being unconventional by no means signifies that Williams isn't going to be successful or a great leader. For one, Williams has true support from his former USC teammates. 

USC wide receiver Brenden Rice credits Williams for helping him improve his game. Rice admitted that he wasn't prepared during his first year, which impacted his ability to produce on the field during games. He revealed Williams helped work with him and build him up to the player who is now expected to get drafted next week.

"He had to talk to me, saw what I was doing in practice each and every day," Rice said. "Everybody saw the dominance and everything, but it was transferring that to the game. So the next offseason, we went ahead just focusing on chemistry, focusing on balance often on the field and that connection between each other, and the next thing you know it took off."

The results — Rice hauled in 12 touchdowns and 791 receiving yards his final year while averaging 17.6 yards per catch.

On top of his helpfulness to his teammates, his teammates call him competitive, and a guy that will strive to lead his team to win. 

"He's a competitor, a guy that is going to go out there and do what you ask him to do every time," WR Tahj Washington said.

"I mean, shoot. You guys saw it today, this dude is accurate as ever," Rice said. "Precise, hard worker, a leader amongst men and he's going to do necessary things to push a team to that championship level."

Beyond the intangibles, his teammates simply admire his play. Williams went out to throw at his Pro Day last month and impressed the scouts and teams in attendance with several high-flying passes down the field. His highlight of the Pro Day was his final pass, when Williams launched a deep ball down the field successfully to Rice, who reeled it in.

"Man, he was bombing away," Rice said. "On that go ball, I was like 'alright I'm gonna have to turn on the jets."

The results were unsurprising to Dedich, who called Williams a “baller” in his post-Pro Day media session. "He's a great leader, great athlete," Dedich said. "He's an athlete, he's a baller."

There likely will still be murmurs and questions surrounding Williams as he's drafted and enters the NFL, but his former teammates hold nothing but confidence for what Williams can do for an NFL franchise as the draft rapidly approaches.