Caleb Williams Scouting Report

Caleb Williams, QB

Measurements:

Height: 6’1
Weight: 214lbs
Classification: Junior
School: Southern California

Testing Numbers:

Arm: 32”
Hand: 9 3/4”
40: N/A
Broad: N/A
Vert: N/A

Prospect Bio

Caleb Williams has always followed the beat of his own drum. Going back to his earlier days growing up in Bowie, Maryland. When he was about nine years old, Williams was always the most impressive athlete on the field.

He starred at running back during his Pop Warner days and even impressed on the defensive side of the ball, becoming the team’s most consistent linebacker. The athletic abilities were clear. Williams was destined for greatness. The question became: what position was best for him to get there?

“I had never ever thought of Caleb as a quarterback at all. But they had him at third-string quarterback for this 7-on-7 team. He was out there for maybe one drive, and like the second play, he threw a pass, and he’s like in the fourth grade, like 30 yards on a button up the sideline.” Said Mark McClain, a close family friend and a man who played a pivotal role in his development.

That was the moment that everything changed. We’re talking 5 a.m. workouts three times a week, playing in big moments against the ‘big dogs’ of Maryland—guys like Rakim Jarrett and Blake Corum. Everything was set in place to instill a quarterback-esque mindset in Williams—all this prior to him even being in high school.

As his family migrated from Bowie to Northwest DC in efforts to help Williams fulfill what was seen as his destiny, he attended Gonzaga College High School. It was there that he claimed the starting job as a freshman and never looked back, doing an excellent job helping to fulfill the prophecy.

I mean, simply put, he became the literal number one player in the entire class of ‘21 during this time. He was a two-time All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference selection (2019 MVP), was named Gatorade District of Columbia Football Player of the Year, and was a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American in 2018.

This allowed him his pick of the litter in terms of recruiting, and he chose no other than the man who was known as the quarterback whisperer himself, Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners.

After sitting for most of his freshman year, the beast was ‘unleashed’ as a freshman. This, however, was nothing compared to what was to come with Williams becoming the first ever Heisman Trophy winner to hail from the DMV area in his sophomore season. A season that saw him follow the aforementioned Riley as he took a job in SoCal.

During his time at Southern California, Williams became the record holder of the USC single-season mark for total offense (4,919 yards), most touchdowns scored rushing and passing (52), passing completions (333), passes attempted (500), most passing yards gained (4,537), most touchdown passes thrown (42), most rushing and passing plays (613), lowest rate of interceptions (1%, 5 in 500 attempts), and highest passing efficiency rating (168.5).

Career Stats:

Freshman

Adj Com%: 73.4%
Yards: 1912
TDs: 21
INTs: 4

Sophomore

Adj Com%: 76%
Yards: 4639
TDs: 42
INTs: 5

Junior

Adj Com%: 77.5%
Yards: 3647
TDs: 30
INTs: 5

Advanced Metrics:

Passing Pressure

Freshman
- Kept Clean: 61.8% dropbacks — 80.8% Adj. Completion Percentage (13 TDs – 2 INTs)
- Under Pressure: 38.2% dropbacks — 54.4% Adj. Completion Percentage (8 TDs – 2 INTs)
- Not Blitzed: 67.3% dropbacks — 76.9% Adj. Completion Percentage (13 TDs – 2 INTs)
- Blitzed: 32.7% dropbacks — 66.7% Adj. Completion Percentage (8 TDs – 2 INTs)

Sophomore:
- Kept Clean: 67.1% dropbacks — 79.2% Adj. Completion Percentage (28 TDs – 5 INTs)
- Under Pressure: 32.9% dropbacks — 65.8% Adj. Completion Percentage (14 TDs – 0 INT)
- Not Blitzed: 67.8% dropbacks — 77.7% Adj. Completion Percentage (23 TDs – 4 INTs)
- Blitzed: 32.2% dropbacks — 72.3% Adj. Completion Percentage (19 TDs – 1 INT)

Junior:
- Kept Clean: 66.8% dropbacks — 81.9% Adj. Completion Percentage (22 TDs – 1 INT)
- Under Pressure: 33.2% dropbacks — 62% Adj. Completion Percentage (8 TDs – 4 INTs)
- Not Blitzed: 63.5% dropbacks — 81.4% Adj. Completion Percentage (15 TDs – 3 INTs)
- Blitzed: 36.5% dropbacks — 70.9% Adj. Completion Percentage (15 TDs – 4 INTs)

Passing Depth

Freshman:
- Behind LOS:
  - 33-36 (91.7%)
  - 17% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: -3.1 yards
  - 261 yards
- Short:
  - 49-62 (79%)
  - 29.2% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 5.1 yards
  - 488 yards
- Medium:
  - 38-62 (61.3%)
  - 29.2% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 13.2 yards
  - 590 yards
- Deep:
  - 16-43 (37.2)
  - 20.3% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 31.8 yards
  - 573 yards

Sophomore:
- Behind LOS:
  - 102-110 (92.7%)
  - 21.9% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: -2.9 yards
  - 815 yards
- Short:
  - 132-164 (80.5%)
  - 32.7% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 4.1 yards
  - 1209 yards
- Medium:
  - 64-115 (55.7%)
  - 22.9% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 13.5 yards
  - 1135 yards
- Deep:
  - 36-86 (41.9%)
  - 17.1 of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 31.2 yards
  - 1389 yards

Junior:
- Behind LOS:
  - 82-86 (95.3%)
  - 21.8% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: -3.3% yards
  - 550 yards
- Short:
  - 108-134 (80.6%)
  - 34% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 4.4% Yards
  - 1025 yards
- Medium:
  - 44-74 (59.5%)
  - 18.8% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 13.1% yards
  - 730 yards
- Deep:
  - 34-66 (51.5%)
  - 16.8% of Attempts
  - Average Depth of Target: 30.7 yards
  - 1342 yards

Prospect Overview:

The Caleb Williams experience is a sight to behold, man. To begin, there is part of me that wishes he stayed at Oklahoma, and there’s part of me that is excited about exactly what USC did (or did not) do for him.

It’s no secret the lack of defense that is played in the Big 12, which is probably partly responsible for performances like the 6 TD game vs. Texas Tech. However, going back and watching some of his time in Norman allowed me to see what Caleb operating in structure truly looks like. Don’t get me wrong; he still showcases some of the same elite abilities but he seems to operate much more within the scheme.

Compared to his time in SoCal, where the abundance of skilled position players was clear, he was failed within the trenches, which kinda ‘bullied’ the playmaking abilities out of him.

I really wish I could “love” his feet; they move excellently at times, and other times he can be a bit stagnant, but I just want to see some consistency, especially on the “point’, which can make accuracy a bit sporadic at times. With that being said, his top half and bottom work really well together when he’s in sync. His feet move really well as he goes through progressions, and he does that specifically like a veteran already. Williams is on time, accurate, and efficient in the quick game.

The ball just snaps out of his hands; he has such a quick release in this area. His feet move really well here; honestly, I love it when he has no time to think. His deep throw accuracy is near the top of the class, and the ball placement is always in the necessary spots. Williams throws a beautiful back shoulder, man. My goodness, just an effortless down-the-field talent who makes it all look so easy.

I’m intrigued by what he can do as a processor, from pre-snap to post-snap. He has a rep vs. Utah where they show single high and rotate to Cover 2, and he identifies the weak spot flawlessly, but he has a rep vs. UCLA where they stand up the entire front 6 to confuse him, end up dropping 3 and sending 3, and he was completely baffled.

On the run, Williams can be a bit careless with the football, holding it in vulnerable positions with one hand. He has to get that fixed at the next level. He plays the game so phenomenally as a ‘playmaker’ but I generally don’t think he wants to play that way. The kid is a pure quarterback with some good athletic traits. That being said, he needs some refining after his time at USC and comfortability in his OL.

If done properly, Williams may be the best player in the entire class, but he may need some saving from himself.

Cover Image Credit: Jessica Alcheh – USA Today Sports