BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
Caleb Williams is on the transfer portal becoming the newest college football star to enter the open market in search of a better opportunity. Now that the top newcomer quarterback weighs his options, let’s examine where Williams will play in 2022.
The 6-foot-1 quarterback’s decision to enter the portal should come as no surprise. ONE The five-star recruit to 247 Sports in 2021, Williams joined the Oklahoma Sooners because of Lincoln Riley. The moment Riley went to one of the highest paid college coach at USC, an exit from his quarterback seemed inevitable.
We have already seen a lot of movement in the transfer portal this winter. Bo Nix joined the Oregon Ducks, Max Johnson enrolled at Texas A&M, Spencer Rattler went to South Carolina and Dillon Gabriel travels to Oklahoma. Needless to say, the college football quarterback carousel is active.
With that in mind, let’s examine Caleb Williams’ best landing spots in 2022.
Lane Kiffin lands the big fish
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Prior to his engagement in Oklahoma, Caleb Williams’ father made it very clear that the family wanted a coach who was great at quarterbacks. That will again be a priority in this decision, but the opportunity to compete in the college football playoffs will also be an important factor. When Williams is looking for a chance to join an explosive offensive that can help him develop as an NFL prospect, Lane Kiffin can pitch a compelling case.
Williams can check out what Kiffin’s misdemeanor did for Matt Corral. Corral, an announced four-star recruit in 2018, fought as a Redshirt freshman with the rebels in his first real action. He lost Snaps to John Rhys Plumlee, now an assault weapon for Ole Miss, and struggled to make an impact.
- Matt Corral Statistics (2019): 59% completion rate, 7.7 meters per attempt, 6-3 TD-INT ratio, 131.0 QB rating, 2.4 Ypc
- Matt Corral (2020-’21): 69.1% completion rate, 9.4 yards per attempt, 49-19 TD-INT ratio, 165.5 QB rating, 4.2 ypc
But everything clicked when Lane Kiffin arrived. The veteran coach’s scheme and ability to craft an offensive around his quarterback’s talents made a world of difference. He threw 29 touchdowns in 2020 and completed 70.9% of his passes. As a Heisman candidate in 2021, Corral had a strong TD-INT ratio of 20-5 and scored a total of 31 touchdowns. Now he’s a predicted top 20 pick in the NFL draft 2022.
Ole Miss features exciting style of football in the SEC, the best level of competition to challenge Williams. He could take the rebels to the next level, make them a CFP contender, and click with Kiffin for two seasons before moving to the NFL.
Caleb Williams joins Lincoln Riley at USC
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It’s only fitting that USC stands out as a potential transfer target for Caleb Williams. Riley convinced the Washington DC native to relocate Norman and Oklahoma for a chance to become next Kyler Murray. The recruiting pitch should get even easier with the ability to live in Los Angeles, where Williams can be a star in the field and take advantage of it with NIL deals.
The transfer portal is the college football free agency, that was inevitable. When evaluating landing sites for Williams, USC offers the strongest pitch. An established relationship with an offensively thinking top trainer is a great advantage for the Trojans. Combine that with the incoming offensive weapons in a talented state and the program becomes even more attractive. Plus, if he made the Trojans a contender for the title, Williams would become a city icon.
LSU Tigers land quarterback to win instantly
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On the surface, the pairing of Williams with Brian Kelly doesn’t seem like the perfect fit. This is the same trainer who danced with ‘“with a quarterback recruit at LSU.Callin ‘Baton Rouge “is playing in the background. Williams might be put off by that too Lack of success of Kelly’s Notre Dame quarterbacks in the NFL. But this is a fascinating option for two reasons.
- Caleb Williams Statistics: 64.5% completion rate, 1,912 passing yards, 21-4 TD INT ratio, 169.6 QB rating, 442 rushing yards and six touchdowns
First the offensive coordinator of the LSU, Mike Denbrock. In Cincinnati, he developed a relationship with Desmond Ridder. Once a three-star recruit with very few offers to play quarterback, Ridder became one of the best passers-by in college football. In Denbrock’s offensive for the past two seasons, Ridder scored 5,630 yards with a TD-INT ratio of 49-14 and a pass rating of 156.2. He now has a chance to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft this off-season.
There are tempting opportunities for Williams in Denbrock’s offense. Next, consider the state of Louisiana and the level of support the boosters and fans are providing for the soccer program. Willams could become a legend in the state, possibly following Joe Burrow’s path.
Caleb Williams moves to Georgia
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Georgia could be the favorites to win over Caleb Williams. The Bulldogs are playing for the national championship and have reached that point with Stetson Bennett as quarterback. Although he has done pretty well this season (27-7 TD-INT ratio, 178.0 QB rating), he’s still a former walk-on with no NFL future. Williams would be a monumental quarterback upgrade for the Bulldogs.
Think Georgia’s recruiting courses. The Bulldogs won two of the best offensive tackle prospects in the country in 2021, and their offensive line enabled one of the lowest firing rates in college football. That’s critical in the SEC. Williams would also play with Brock Bowers (846 yards, 12 touchdowns), who receives Rob Gronkowski settlements. The second receiver Jermaine Burton (19.5 ypc) also showed real promise this season.
If Williams is looking to win a championship, Georgia is the place. Granted, Kirby Smart’s talent scoring and quarterback decision-making doesn’t seem like the best (restarting Jake Fromm Justin Fields), but even he realizes that the Bulldogs can be even better in 2022 if Williams leads the offensive. If the Bulldogs win the championship and Williams land, 2022 will be a year the state will never forget.
