USC Football: Rich Eisen Believes Caleb Williams Should End His College Career Early
With only three days left until the USC Trojans host their final home game of the season against their cross-town rival, UCLA. The question of whether Caleb Williams should forgo the remainder of the 2023 College Football season and declare his entry in the 2024 NFL draft is already on the horizon.
Rich Eisen of the Rich Eisen Show and co-host of Overreaction Monday Podcast, Chris Brockman, seems to think so. When asked by Brockman if Williams should forgo the rest of his junior season, Eisen responded by agreeing 100%.
"That right there is 100%," Said Eisen. " I know that would cause a fuhrer and I know that would cause much consternation, but three losses, he's already got a Heisman on the case."
Per Rich Eisen of The Over reaction Monday podcast
Coming into this season, USC was a favorite to win the CFB National Championship but unfortunately, the 2023 CFB season hasn't been in their favor.
Eisen later went on to explain that the potential of being the number one pick in this year's draft should outweigh the remainder of his junior season. Williams has so little to play for aside from a rivalry game this Saturday, which is not worth it.
On offense, USC has been just as good as anyone, if not elite. Defensively, the Trojans have just been horrible.
Right now, the USC defense is ranked 124th in the nation as they are allowing opponents 6.32 yards per play and giving up an average of 446.5 yards per game.
While the defense has played miserably for the Trojans, Williams seems to have been at the center of the backlash as of late despite being the main reason why USC has remained competitive in recent games.
This season, Williams is definitely in the Heisman conversation as he has thrown for 3,249 yards with 29 touchdowns and just four interceptions while rushing for just 156 yards with 11 touchdowns.
The one area that I would like to see improvement from Williams is holding onto the ball as he has eight fumbles.
A few of those, play into situational football and knowing when to hand the ball off in RPO-type plays.
Williams has also struggled with having time in the pocket as the Trojan's offensive line has been horrendous this season. If they could buy him just a bit more time, I think we would see an increase in Williams's numbers and fewer of these fumbles.
After a devastating loss to Washington in week 10, a clip that featured Williams and his mother went viral on the internet that night as the camera caught him climbing up the stands and leaning on his mother's shoulders and started crying.
The kind of backlash that Williams has heard following this scene has been one that should not dictate his future as the potential number-one pick in this year's draft.
"I think all the crap and garbage that’s been spewed in his direction because he hoped and cried on his mother’s shoulder is garbage too. I think he is 100% a guy that is the face of a franchise."
Per Rich Eisen of The Over reaction Monday podcast
When the camera pointed to Williams crying on his mother's shoulders, don't think he deserved the backlash that he has recently been scrutinized for.
Moments like those are a sign of character and growth. To me, the scene showed just how much this game, this team, and what CFB means to him.
Fans also forget that Williams is still a young adult at 21 years old.
In 2013, the CFB world praised Johnny Manziel and labeled him as the potential number-one overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. despite a few character issues surfacing, only to become true in the Netflix Untold documentary that came out earlier this year.
When comparing the two situations, I would think NFL franchises would rather take the guy who cares.
As of right now, it is expected that Williams will play this Saturday despite Eisen stating that he shouldn't and should shift his focus towards the NFL Draft.
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