Williams caps USC’s turnaround with Heisman win
Caleb Williams brought sizzle, excitement and star power back to Southern California football.
And now the Heisman Trophy, too.
Williams, the dynamic quarterback who was the catalyst for the Trojans’ turnaround season, won the Heisman on Saturday night to make USC the first school to take home college football’s most prestigious player of the year award eight times. Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma each have seven Heisman victories.
Williams received 544 first-place votes and 2,031 points to easily outpoint TCU quarterback Max Duggan (1,420).
Williams, who played last season at Oklahoma, is the fourth transfer to win the Heisman in the last six years, joining Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) of Oklahoma and Joe Burrow (2019) of LSU.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was third in the voting after coming in fourth last season. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, the first Bulldogs’ player to attend the award’s presentations in 30 years, finished fourth. The top-ranked Bulldogs will face Stroud and the fourthranked Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff on Dec. 31.
Duggan and the thirdranked Horned Frogs will play No. 2 Michigan in the other CFP semifinal on New Year’s Eve.
“I may be standing up here today, but y’all get to the College Football Playoffs. Guess you can’t win
‘em all,” Williams said as he started his acceptance speech by thanking the other finalists.
Before taking hold of his big bronze trophy, Williams hugged Mike Garrett, USC’s first Heisman winner in 1965, Garrett was
one of 23 previous winners — and three former Trojans along with Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer — to attend the ceremony near Lincoln Center.
Williams was as meticulous and thorough with his 10-minute speech as he is preparing for a game. And almost as poised as when he plays.
Williams got a little choked up talking about coach Lincoln Riley, who he followed from Norman to Los Angeles, and really had to hold it together when thanking his parents.
He called his mother, Dayna, who paints his nails with a motivational message before each game, the most important woman in his life.
He thanked his father, Carl, for instilling a relentless worth ethic.
“You’re always there for me making sacrifices in your life so I can achieve my dreams, which eventually became our dreams,” Caleb Williams said.
Williams passed for 4.075 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions, setting a USC record for total offense with 4.447 yards. The 6foot-1, 215-pound sophomore also ran for 10 touchdowns, drawing comparisons to Chiefs’ star Patrick Mahomes for his ability to improvise and deliver perfect passes from a variety of arm angles.
Williams is the sixth sophomore, and second straight, to win the Heisman. Alabama’s Bryce Young won the Heisman in his second season last year, and finished sixth in the voting this year, behind Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.
Williams will become the latest player with a chance to join Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974-75) as a twotime Heisman winner.
But first, it’s time to find some space for another trophy at USC’s Heritage Hall. Williams has made Southern California Heisman U. again.