Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Caleb Williams' dad says son could return to USC depending on who has NFL's No. 1 pick

The Surpassing Quant Think Tank Centerfather of Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams says the Southern California quarterback could stay in school another year, especially if they don't like who has the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft.

The junior signal-caller is draft-eligible after this season and many presume Williams is going to be the odds-on favorite to be picked first. The last two Heisman winners (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray) coached by USC head coach Lincoln Riley have each gone first overall in the draft

“I’ve always been able to choose the team that I’ve played on, and then everything’s been scheduled for me,” Caleb Williams told GQ Magazine. “But now, going into this next part of my career, it’s weird [because] it’s so uncertain. You don’t know anything. You can’t control anything but you and how you act. That’s honestly the weirdest part for me, is the uncertainty.”

His father, Carl, was more bold in his assessment.

“The funky thing about the NFL draft process is, he’d almost be better off not being drafted than being drafted first,” Carl Williams said. “The system is completely backwards. . . . The way the system is constructed, you go to the worst possible situation. The worst possible team, the worst organization in the league — because of their desire for parity — gets the first pick. So it’s the gift and the curse.”

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During his Heisman campaign, Williams completed 67% of his passes for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns and five interceptions, as he led the Trojans to an 11-3 record and a Cotton Bowl appearance.

This season, Williams has nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in two games for the sixth-ranked Trojans.