Caleb Williams Closing in on Heisman Trophy Dream

There is no bigger individual honor in college football than winning the Heisman Trophy. All season, USC quarterback Caleb Williams has focused on team goals, putting the Trojans far ahead of himself. But Saturday night, all eyes will be on Williams if he does indeed hoist the trophy he so clearly deserves after a remarkable 2022 season.

Williams came into his sophomore season as a potential Heisman winner based on what he did last year at Oklahoma and what he was expected to do at USC. But he wasn’t truly discussed nationally among the favorites until late in the season. A stellar performance against UCLA helped launch the campaign in earnest. Another standout showing against Notre Dame cemented him as the favorite.

It was in that week between games that Williams started to get questions about the greatest individual award. And following the Notre Dame game, Williams was asked about his history regarding the Heisman. Williams said he was between 10 and 12 years old when he first learned about the trophy.

“It’s been a goal of mine,” he said. “Because I think I’m the best and that’s one of the trophies and kind of represents that.”

Williams said his goal first and foremost is to participate in the College Football Playoff. He wasn’t able to get there as a freshman and likely came up just one hamstring short of it this season.

Now, with the Heisman ceremony tonight, Williams can take just a bit of time to focus on himself and what he accomplished this season. A win tonight would cross one major goal off his list.

“It’s something that you dream of as a kid,” Williams said Friday during media availability with the four Heisman finalists. “To be here now and be a finalist with this group of guys that I’m with is pretty special.”

Williams Set His Sights on the Heisman

Williams said before the season he wrote out a list of his goals on his phone. He said he was able to reach a few of them this season. The Heisman is up next as an attainable goal on his list.

“I’m here now, and we’ll see what happens,” Williams said. “It’s pretty cool to be in this moment. Like I said, you dream of it as a kid. You get to the point where you work super hard to be the best. This is one the trophies that kind of kind of says that you were the best this year, or whatever the case may be. So I am proud of myself for putting in the hard work, but there’s a lot more to come.”

Williams said that if he does win, having his jersey retired at the Coliseum is probably the “weirdest” and “coolest” thing about winning the Heisman as a Trojan.

It’s impossible to pick just one Heisman moment for Williams, who was the heartbeat of the entire USC team from the day he arrived on campus to the final snap he took in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah. He set USC single-season records with 47 total touchdowns and 4,447 total offensive yards. He finished among the top 10 quarterbacks nationally in passing yards, passing efficiency, passing yards per game, total offense and yards per pass attempt.

And his rushing attempts might have been even more highlight-worthy than his passing. Williams was equal parts ballerina and bulldozer as he ran over and around defenders all season. He had the most rushing yards by a USC quarterback in at least 70 years.

Always Team-First

Williams’ guests for this evening include all eight USC offensive linemen who blocked for him this season. While national attention from opposing fans and media can center on his painted nails and emotional finishes to losses, Williams is beloved as a leader in the Trojans’ locker room and program. Gestures like that are only a small part of the reason why.

“Without those guys, the eight offensive linemen that played, the seven to nine or 10 wide receivers that played, the four or five running backs that played, the defense, special teams, all of that,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t be in this position without those guys…I wouldn’t be sitting in this chair and ya’ll wouldn’t be asking me these questions without them.”

Williams said he heard the noise and felt a little more increased attention over the second half of the season. But it never affected his focus or the way he approached games. He was team-first until the end. And on the verge of possibly accepting the greatest individual award in college football, that’s what stood out to him when looking back at the season.

“It was a special year, to say the least,” Williams said. “We didn’t end how we wanted to…But it is a special year. I’m proud of the team, especially coming together so fast. Twelve months with half a new roster. A bunch of guys that stayed. There was a lot of uncertainty. There was a lot of doubt on the outside in the beginning of the season. We worked hard. We fought and came together, built this bond between each other. And I can’t say anything else other than I’m proud of my guys and proud of how we worked.”