Lincoln Riley Updates Injury Status of Caleb Williams
The availability of quarterback Caleb Williams for the USC Trojans in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl against the Tulane Green Wave appears very much up in the air, even with a month to go before kickoff.
Williams injured his hamstring in the first quarter of the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah this past Friday. He didn’t miss an offensive snap for the Trojans, but clearly struggled to display anything close to the same dynamic athleticism that makes him the clear frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy this season.
USC head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game that Williams “popped his hamstring” during a 59-yard run that saw the quarterback elude or bounce off at least five Utah defenders.
On Sunday, Riley spoke to the media during the Cotton Bowl press availability and was asked about Williams’ health status.
“He’s got a significant hamstring injury,” Riley said. “It’s good we’re not playing probably in the next two to three weeks.”
Williams will look to rehab the injury as best he can. But there’s really no telling at this point how long it will keep him sidelined and what his availability for the bowl game will be.
“Hamstrings are different for everybody, but the nature of his is pretty severe,” Riley said. “We’ll have to see how it progresses.”
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The kickoff against Tulane will come four weeks and three days after Williams suffered the injury. Hamstring injuries typically have a way of lingering for an extra week or two. If that’s the case with Williams, it would put his availability very much in doubt.
Ryan Kartje of the LA Times spoke to Williams at a Caleb Cares graduation ceremony and reported that Williams said he will play in USC’s bowl game.
USC Trojans Missing the Bowl Game
At this point, center Brett Neilon is the only USC player definitely out of the Cotton Bowl. The standout center for the Trojans injured his lower leg in the fourth quarter of the Pac-12 Championship Game. His lower leg was put in an air cast and he was driven off the field on a cart.
It was a gut-wrenching way for Neilon’s USC career to come to a close.
“Obviously disappointed to not have him for our last one,” Riley said. “He’s been such a big part of this run and this turnaround here. Hate that we won’t have Brett available.”
Riley said they’ve had conversations with some of the players about potential opt-outs or injuries, but the expectation at this point is that everybody outside of Neilon will be available for the game.
