USC Football: Latest On Caleb Williams Status Ahead Of UCLA, Bowl Games

Will the reigning Heisman winner suit up?

At 7-4, your USC Trojans have very little to play for today, when they'll host the visiting 6-4 UCLA Bruins in the latest installment of a storied rivalry. Basically, the stakes are what tier of bowl game the Cardinal and Gold will get to play.

The matchup will tip off at 12:30 p.m. on ABC.

As such, it's not a sure thing that 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams will even suit up today, though Donovan James of Trojans Wire seems fairly confident he will. James is less sure, however, that Williams will opt to keep playing for his team in a meaningless road bowl game, with the 2024 NFL draft looming and Williams expected to be a top pick.

A 6'1", 215-pound junior, Williams is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner thanks to his exploits on last year's better Trojans club. 

He's had a comparably excellent season numbers-wise, but hasn't affected winning in quite the same way (in part because USC's defense has continued to atrophy). This season, he's thrown for 3,249 yards and 29 touchdowns (against four interceptions), while registering an 82.7 quarterback ranking, good for just 11th in the NCAA. He may have harbored dreams of notching a second straight Heisman before (presumably) turning pro in next year's NFL draft, but he's been supplanted by other play callers this season. That said, his body of work should be enough to propel him into being a top-three pick.

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