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USC football quarterback and last year's Heisman trophy winner Caleb Williams faces a critical decision as he contemplates whether to enter the 2024 NFL Draft or return to the Trojans football team for another season. This decision has far-reaching implications for both Williams and USC, and the evolving landscape of college football. What should Williams decide?
Why is it not a guarantee Caleb Williams would enter the 2024 NFL Draft?
Recently, both Williams and his father came out and said that if the right situation didn't present itself in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams, only being a junior this season, has the opportunity to return to the Trojans football team.
“That's for sure now going to be an in-the-moment decision at the end of the year,” Williams told ESPN. “It's my third year, and the dream and goal was to go three-and-out. Being around these guys and in college and enjoying it, we'll have to see at the end of this year.”
Williams father, Carl, echoed the same sentiments:
“The way the system is constructed, you go to the worst possible situation,” Williams father told GQ. “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. I mean, I've talked to Archie Manning — his career was shot because he went to a horrible organization. I've talked to Lincoln [Riley], and Kyler [Murray] struggled because of where he was drafted. Baker [Mayfield] struggled mightily because of where he was drafted.
“The organizations matter. He's got two shots at the apple. So if there's not a good situation, the truth is, he can come back to school.”
A guy like Williams has a bit of a luxury. He's playing not only for a prominent college team like USC, the current No. 6 team in the country, he's also the star quarterback of the Trojans football team. Who wouldn't want to be in his position right now, playing in sunny Southern California of all places? To then give up that luxury, even if it is for only one more season, to not go to an organization that resembles nothing like his situation at USC, in a lot of ways, makes sense. There's certainly arguments for both sides — to stay in college, or leave for the NFL.
Argument for Caleb Williams to stay at USC
Enjoyment and College Lifestyle
Williams has publicly expressed his enjoyment of college life and playing for USC football. He's relishing the experience of being part of a college team the likes of the Trojans, and really, seems in no rush to leave. Staying another year would allow him to continue savoring the college lifestyle, albeit in Los Angeles, CA.
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Uncertainty in NFL Situation
Williams' father, Carl, rightly points out that the NFL draft can be a gamble, as players often land on teams with not poor records but poor organization standards. Going to a struggling NFL franchise may hinder Williams' growth and career prospects. Staying in college provides him with an additional opportunity to assess the NFL landscape and ensure a possible better situation when he eventually decides to make the leap to the league.
NIL Earnings Potential
The emergence of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has been a massive game changer to college athletics. It allows college athletes to earn money through endorsements and sponsorships. While projections vary from player to player, it's unlikely that NIL earnings will ever rival those of a first-round NFL contract. For so long, players never had these opportunities, making them leave within their first year of eligibility due to NCAA constraints where they were unable to legally make money. Now, someone like Williams, who has deals with Athletic Brewing Company, Fanatics, AT&T, Beats by Dre and AC+ION Water, has more leverage than players in the past. Staying in college would allow him to continue benefiting from these NIL opportunities, to which he is poised to make $2.6 million this year. That's $1.6 million more than Trevor Lawrence's base salary of $940,000 this season, according to Marca.
Argument for Caleb Williams to enter the NFL Draft
Guaranteed NFL Contract
First-round NFL contracts come with guaranteed money, as demonstrated by this year's No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, and his multi-million dollar deal. These contracts provide financial security that NIL deals may not match, even though Williams is proving to be a bit of the exception to that rule.
Maximizing NFL Career Timeline
Entering the NFL sooner allows Williams to maximize his career timeline, potentially earning multiple contracts and achieving long-term financial stability. Look at this offseason alone at how the quarterback market has be continuously reset by the contracts of Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and finally Joe Burrow. Being that's the most important position in all of football, it's a market that most likely will continue to reset itself, especially if Williams is as good as most are expecting him to be.
The fear of injury
Each year playing USC football not only delays the start of Williams' NFL career, but it also give more opportunities for the talented quarterback to suffer career-threatening injuries. With Williams style of play, which is sometimes a bit unorthodox, playing off his creativity that comes through either his arm or his legs, that leaves him more vulnerable to be injured. We've already seen how quickly a season can end for star quarterbacks with Aaron Rodgers' injury on Monday Night Football. Though Williams is younger and at the college level, it still doesn't change the fact that he's playing a physical sport that requires hitting each other.
