USC quarterback Caleb Williams among finalists for Heisman Trophy
When Caleb Williams transferred to USC in February, the quarterback was billed as a star-in-the-making, the type of transformational talent capable of one day becoming the best player in college football.
Less than a year later, that distinction already appears inevitable for the Trojans passer. Williams was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Monday, joining fellow quarterbacks Max Duggan of Texas Christian, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Stetson Bennett of Georgia, all of whom will be in New York for the award ceremony Saturday.
None has separated from the pack over the last month quite like Williams, who remains the overwhelming favorite for the award among oddsmakers. The sophomore quarterback carried USC to the verge of the College Football Playoff, besting rivals Notre Dame and UCLA with stellar performances in the season’s final weeks, both in front of a national audience.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a significant hamstring injury during the Pac-12 title game, but he still hopes to play in the Cotton Bowl.
A hamstring injury hampered him in a devastating Pac-12 championship game loss to Utah on Friday night, ending USC’s charmed run and calling into question his availability for the Cotton Bowl next month. But Williams’ stranglehold on this college football season had already been established by then.
After his transfer from Oklahoma became the talk of the offseason, Williams stepped into the spotlight at USC and emerged an even bigger star. He has thrown for 4,075 yards, fourth most among all Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks, and 37 touchdowns, tied for the national lead, to go with just four interceptions. If he’s healthy enough to play in the bowl game, he should have no problem shattering the school records in both categories.
But it was with his legs that Williams truly set himself apart. His stunning escapes from the pocket have made him one of the most electrifying playmakers in college football. He has racked up 10 rushing touchdowns to go with 372 yards on the ground, both totals the most ever by a Trojans quarterback.
Williams would be the eighth Trojan to win the Heisman Trophy, the most by a school, although the Heisman Trust would still only recognize seven because Reggie Bush was stripped of his 2005 Heisman Trophy after NCAA violations involving the running back.
No. 8 Utah will face off with No. 11 Penn State in the Rose Bowl after defeating USC in the Pac-12 championship game.
Bennett, Duggan and Stroud all look to upset Williams.
Bennett led defending national champion Georgia to a second consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal bid and is 24-1 as the Bulldogs’ starter.
The sixth-year player from Blackshear, Ga., was most valuable player of the Southeastern Conference championship game after throwing for 274 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-30 win over Louisiana State that ran the Bulldogs’ record to 13-0.
Duggan, who grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and had heart surgery two years ago, willed TCU to its first playoff semifinal appearance.
He was at the center of one of the signature sequences of the season. It happened late in the fourth quarter during Saturday’s Big 12 title game against Kansas State when he broke loose for 40 yards and then, visibly out of breath, ran for an eight-yard touchdown and completed a two-point pass to bring the Horned Frogs back from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Duggan came up just short of the goal line on a run in overtime, and TCU lost for the first time this season, 31-28.
And Stroud, a Rancho Cucamonga High alum, is a Heisman finalist for the second year in a row. He was fourth in voting last year. He came into this season regarded as the front-runner and remained the favorite as Ohio State piled up impressive numbers through the first eight games.
But he struggled against Northwestern, the worst team in the Big Ten, and couldn’t rally the Buckeyes in the second half of their most recent game, a 45-23 home loss to Michigan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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