Caleb Williams Named a Heisman Trophy Finalist

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is one of four players named finalists for the 2022 Heisman Trophy. Williams will join fellow quarterbacks Stetson Bennet of Georgia, Max Duggan of TCU and C.J. Stroud of Ohio State in New York as finalists for the award presented to college football’s most outstanding player.

Williams is looking to become USC’s eighth Heisman winner, following Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Matt Leinart (2004) and Reggie Bush (2005).

He is by far the betting frontrunner heading into Saturday evening’s award presentation.

Williams didn’t turn USC’s football program around by himself in one season, but he was a massive part of the Trojans going from 4-8 in 2021 to 11-2 and a New Year’s Six Bowl in 2022.

He set USC single-season records for total touchdowns (47) and total offensive yards (4,447). And his 372 rushing yards are the most for a USC quarterback in at least the last 70 years.

Williams finished No. 1 in the nation in passing touchdowns, with 37. He was also among the top ten in passing yards, passing efficiency, passing yards per game, total offense and yards per pass attempt. USC finished among the top five national offenses in scoring, total offense and passing offense with Williams at the helm.

If he is healthy enough to play in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic following a hamstring injury suffered against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game, he will likely set the USC single-season record for completions. If he can’t play, he is guaranteed to set the USC single-season record for lowest interception percentage.

Williams Highlights the USC Season

Williams was phenomenal this season as a runner and passer. His performance against Stanford in Week 2 served as his introduction to the USC fanbase. He put a devastating stiff arm on a Cardinal defender and dropped a beautifully placed 75-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison in the same game.

The throw of the year for Williams might have come on the game-winner to Addison against Oregon State. Struggling all game, Williams saved his best for last in fitting a tight throw down the sideline to Addison through a nearly non-existent windor for a touchdown.

If it wasn’t that throw, it might have been one to Kyle Ford against UCLA, when Williams scrambled to his left and threw a rope across his body to a spot where Ford could catch it over a defender and turn upfield.

Williams saved some of his best work for the biggest games. A run he had against Notre Dame where he escaped backwards out of the pocket, only to round back upfield and take off through Fighting Irish defenders for a long gain will undoubtedly be played during his highlight package. That will likely be followed by his 59-yard run against Utah, where he escaped multiple Utah defenders and ran through three more.

Unfortunately, Williams suffered a significant hamstring injury on that play and was severely limited throughout the rest of the game. But he showed his grit and toughness by staying in and throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns against the Utes.