USC football star Caleb Williams has been often compared to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes. However, the young signal-caller couldn't care less about it. While he has no issue with the comparisons, he's also not letting himself be limited by it.

The Williams-Mahomes comparisons started once again at the Pac-12 Media Day after Trojans head football coach Lincoln Riley was asked about the similarities and differences between the two. Riley admitted he sees where the comparisons are coming from, though he emphasized that the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is still working on to complete his game while Mahomes has already established himself as one of the best QBs in the world.

“There are some similarities. I think some of the vision and some of the creative arm angle. Also the ability to get the ball out is similar,” Riley said, via Sports Illustrated. “Pat played a lot of football though. I have to remind people that Caleb didn't play his senior year of high school and only half the year his first year at Oklahoma. … Obviously, Pat is the best quarterback in the game and that's a flattering comparison, but Caleb's got a long way to go to get to that.”

While it's definitely good to be compared to a two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP, Caleb Williams is unlike any other QB. He's a competitor first and foremost, and he knows very well he has a lot of things to do even before he can actually be comparable to Patrick Mahomes.

With that said, Williams emphasized he's not making a big deal about his similarities with Mahomes. He sees it as a form of respect, and that's it. At the end of the day, he doesn't want to be known as someone who is “like Mahomes” but rather than the only Caleb Williams.

“The Patrick Mahomes thing, I've seen it. I don't think anything of it. I'm my own self. I'm Caleb Williams, No. 13 for the USC Trojans. I don't think too much of it other than, it's respect,” Williams explained in an appearance on The Ringer's Slow News Day podcast with Kevin Clark.

“Mahomes has been the best guy in the league basically since he got in the league. He's been playing at the highest level. I just say respect. The man's got two Super Bowls under his belt, and I've got not even one national championship. I just classify it as respect because I've been working my tail off to try and be the best.”

That's definitely what USC football fans want to hear from their quarterback. It's definitely great to have one's talents acknowledged, but for Williams, he understands that he still needs to prove himself and show that he can impact winning. It just goes to show that he has his priorities right.

Caleb Williams' Patrick Mahomes comparisons

Lincoln Riley's statement isn't actually the first time Caleb Williams has been compared to Patrick Mahomes. In fact, it has been a recurring storyline for some time now.

Sports analyst Colin Cowherd has been the biggest proponent of that narrative. During the NFL and college football season in 2022, Cowherd said there's no more “accurate” comp for Williams than Mahomes.

“This is what [Patrick] Mahomes is like. If you'd have put Mahomes at a place with a bigger brand. Go look at Mahomes' highlights. Go look at Caleb Williams' highlights… He is a completely different-level player. I've had multiple executives tell me if he was eligible as a sophomore, he'd easily be the No. 1 pick…” Cowherd said at the time.

In a recent episode of his show, The Herd, the FOX Sports commentator added more to the narrative as he explained that it's “reasonable” to see shades of Mahomes in Williams.

“They both run well but aren't running quarterbacks. They do some arm-angle stuff. Both super accurate. One of the things Caleb Williams does really well? He makes all the simple throws — the layup stuff,” Cowherd added, via FOX

“Mahomes — every open receiver he hits. Caleb is really good on the easy stuff. That's very much a Mahomes … trick or pedigree.”

Of course Cowherd is not alone in his assessment. Last April, an NFL QB coach also delivered a similar take, noting that Williams is “like a refined Mahomes.”

“It's hard to compare anybody to Mahomes, but he really does play like him. I don't think his arm is quite like that, but it's definitely special for college. It's not quite as freaky as Pat's, but it's upper-level for the NFL,” the anonymous QB coach shared.

Williams is projected to be the no. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and barring any unforeseen circumstances like an injury, it's hard to imagine him going anywhere than the top spot.

The Mahomes comps aside, Williams will have an opportunity to show the sports world what else he can do in 2023 as he tries to lead USC football to a national championship.