Joel Klatt: USC 'cannot waste' QB Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams won a Heisman Trophy but his USC Trojans ended the season with two straight losses on the biggest stage. Sure it’s a team sport, but Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt pointed out that the team under Lincoln Riley “cannot waste” the talented quarterback in a national title window.

“This is the scary part for USC, and I really believe in what Lincoln Riley is doing there,” Klatt said. “I think Lincoln Riley is a heck of a coach. The scary part for USC is that you’ve got this guy that now we’re all starting to realize in particular after winning the Heisman trophy after seeing him play in the back half of the season. 

“What we’re realizing is this guy is a generational talent. We might be watching Mahomes 2.0. Even better than Mahomes was in college when he was at Texas Tech. This guy’s ability is staggering, staggering. You can’t waste it. You got one season left with this guy. You cannot waste Caleb Williams.”

USC saw its defense cough up way too many points against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and the Cotton Bowl versus Tulane. While Williams was hampered by a hamstring injury, the defense had its many flaws throughout the season.

“And so USC has got to figure out this defense,” Klatt said. “Another game in which the USC defense gives up what, 10 yards per play? Allergic to tackling again, like we saw in the Pac 12 championship game, that has to change period. So Lincoln Riley is now charged with the fact that listen, we know your offense is going to be fine …

“This one feels different because this talent at quarterback feels a little bit different. You cannot waste next year. So they have immediately got to go to the drawing board and they’ve got to evaluate what they’re doing on the defensive side. Period.”

Williams had a career year after breaking out as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2021, also under Riley. The quarterback finished with 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, five interceptions, a 66.6% completion percentage, 382 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

“The big plays and lack of tackling at the level we would expect are very, very alarming and something we’ve got to do a much better job of,” Riley said postgame. “To play great on offense, defense or special teams, everything has got to be clicking. Every single part of your program.”

USC finished 11-3 in Riley’s first season as head coach. He’s now 66-13 as a head coach with Oklahoma and USC since 2017.