JD PicKell: Caleb Williams is 'one of one' in college football

USC’s Caleb Williams is now the QB1 coming into the next college football season. With the quarterback talent that just left for the NFL, the reigning Heisman remains in Los Angeles for at least one more year as, likely, the sport’s best. Now, for On3’s JD PicKell, he wants to know if the Trojans are going to make the most of that opportunity.

PicKell spoke on USC’s national title chances with Williams in a recent episode of ‘The Hard Count.’ He said Lincoln Riley’s team has to find a way to shift their perspective and make Williams someone that separates them rather than a player that has to constantly be bailing them out with his talent.

“Is there enough there on that roster to turn Caleb Williams from the equalizer to the edge?,” asked PicKell. “Here’s the deal. Last year, a lot of times you talked about USC, you talked about Caleb Williams. And you say, ‘Man, USC. They don’t have a great rush defense. They’re not very solid on that side of the ball. But, guess what? They’ve got Caleb Williams. (It) might not matter.’ Caleb Williams is going to be the one that kind of levels the playing field.”

“USC (has) the No. 1 ranked portal class…Does that make it so USC actually does have a solid defense?” PicKell questioned again. “Now, you look at the roster, the overall attributes? Is Caleb Williams now not the guy that gets you back even but the guy that puts you over the top? He’s more than the equalizer. He’s the edge for you. Can you weaponize No. 13 is what I’m trying to ask here.”

PicKell says all this because, in his opinion, Williams is as good as it gets and is one of the best in the last few years. If you’re USC, he is imploring that they find a way to capitalize on having him on their roster by competing for something that genuinely matters next fall.

“He’s a generational talent. We have not seen something like Caleb Williams in college football in I don’t know how long. (And) we may never see something like him again,” PicKell said. “He is maybe a one-of-one when it comes to the college football landscape with what we get to see from him. For USC, man? You don’t want to waste the last year you’ve got with him.”

“Is he coming back? No…He’s already, for some people, going to be the No. 1 pick next year. He’ll be the No. 1 pick next year. You’ve got one year with him. Can you make it matter?,” said PicKell. “He’s gonna win you football games. But is he going to win you football games because the offense has to score 50? Or is he winning you football games because your offense scored 50 but your defense only allowed 25? That’s the world I want to live in if I’m a USC fan.”

Williams finished with the most passing touchdowns in the nation (42) while also finishing with the third most passing yards (4,537), a top-five QBR, and only five interceptions on the year. Still, while winning the Heisman is the sport’s highest individual honor, PicKell says it’s now on USC to not squander their program’s shot at something far better with him before he’s off to the NFL Draft.