JD PicKell: Why Caleb Williams' path to a second straight Heisman Trophy is different in 2023

USC QB Caleb Williams earned his spot as a superstar in college football with his Heisman Trophy win in 2022. However, in order to repeat, On3’s JD PicKell says his case will come down to one thing: the Trojan’s schedule.

PicKell explained his point on a recent episode of ‘The Hard Count’. He started by refuting the usual point that some make about players like Williams considering the west coast’s kickoff times. In his opinion, he believes Williams has become so big that he will be able to overcome that disadvantage.

“The thing with Caleb Williams that I don’t think we will have to account for this coming season that we did last season was that he’s playing on the west coast,” PicKell said. “We all know this. We talk about it every single year when there’s a good player in the Pac-12 that should be considered for the Heisman. A lot of times they’re playing games when a lot of people on the east coast are asleep.”

“With Caleb Williams, I think we’re at the point now where his star power is going to override any west coast logistics, if you will,” continued PicKell. “(He’s) the most talented player in college football, probably the best player in college football. You just know what you’re getting with him.”

After that, PicKell broke down his real reasoning when it comes to the Trojan’s slate. He pointed to USC’s final three games as Williams’ path to a second straight Heisman. If he can prove himself again in conference play, specifically in those big-time matchups against top-notch quarterbacks, PicKell believes that will put him in the pole position once again.

“His Heisman trajectory, his path to the Heisman looks a little bit different than it did a season ago. It starts November 4th,” PicKell explained. “You’ve got Washington at home, you go at Oregon, (then) UCLA. Then, obviously, you’ll have the Pac-12 title game should USC find themselves in that position, which I think they very well could.”

“Those are the games I’m really looking at. Those are the games where I need Caleb Williams to make a strong push,” said PicKell. “The Heisman, for my money, is won in November. He did it last year. He’s got a different group of opponents to get it done this year. So you need Washington, Oregon, and UCLA to all hold up their end of the bargain for Caleb Williams to have those stages to have the chance to win the Heisman Trophy.”

Williams’ case will also come down to the numbers that he’ll put up again in Los Angeles this fall. Still, if he can lead USC to wins against the league’s best coming down the stretch, it could make all the difference in whether or not he repeats to people like PicKell.