College football insider provides latest on Caleb Williams timeline

ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel joined SportsCenter Wednesday afternoon to discuss the latest news across college football. The only logical place to start any discussion about the current offseason is transfer portal movement and the latest on the timeline of former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams.

After breaking down the factors which will impact Williams’ decision most and providing an update on the dozen schools he has met with over zoom or in-person, Thamel moved to a timeline for the commitment and enrollment of the star quarterback.

“This is a nebulas,” said Thamel. “The Williams’ first process, when Caleb was in high school, took a year and a half. And Carl said, ‘we’ve got to do it now in two weeks.” So it could as soon as the end of this week, but there’s also teams on the quarter system where they could wait until March. They want to see how NFL hires that could trickle down to college shake out because they really want NFL training for Caleb Williams to best prepare him for pro football.”

Caleb Williams threw for 1,912 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interception in his freshman campaign, adding 442 rushing yards and six touchdowns over 11 appearances before opting to transfer after the departure of head coach Lincoln Riley.

Key factors for Caleb Williams

The biggest named player to enter the transfer portal this cycle is still on the market. Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams has yet to make a decision and is still weighing his options on where he will continue his collegiate career.

“So far, he’s visited USC and UCLA but he’s been on Zooms with a dozen other schools,” Thamel said. “The family is weighing their options and Carl Williams, his dad, told me last night NFL, not NIL, is the guiding light of what the family is doing. Meaning — they want to go to the place where he’s best prepared to go to the NFL and ultimately be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.”

Williams was already considered the favorites to be the top pick in the 2024 NFL draft before he inserted his name in the transfer portal. Being the No. 1 player according to On3 from the 2021 class, the quarterback has been seen as a top prospect for some time.

However, getting there can be a different story. Williams and his family will want to find a coach that they can trust to get him to the next level. And they seem set to do it within the next two years and have Williams declare as an underclassman.