The USC football team is reeling after a finish to the 2023 regular season that saw them lose four out of five games down the stretch.

Recently, USC Coach Lincoln Riley shared his thoughts on adding a starting QB through the transfer portal to replace NFL-bound Caleb Williams. Riley announced that the future NFL Draft pick will not play in the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park on December 27, as expected.

On, NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper, Jr. and Jordan Reid revealed their picks for top QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Williams checked in at a position that did not seem affected by the Trojans' poor play down the stretch.

Williams Ranked By Kiper, Jr., Reid

The USC football team's star quarterback and 2022 Heisman winner is still ranked high heading into the 2024 NFL Draft among the current QB rankings by both analysts.

The longtime ESPN analyst Kiper, Jr. has Williams at the top of his famous ‘Big Board.'

Yes, at least on my board. Williams — assuming he enters the draft — is going to have his 2023 season picked apart for the next five months, but when you really study his tape, you'll see he was still tremendous,”Kiper, Jr. said.

“He is an outstanding talent, a passer who can do rare things when he's moving in and outside the pocket. Plus, the reality is Maye had some inconsistent games and didn't grab his chance to move up down the stretch. Williams is going to go wire to wire as my No. 1 QB.”

Williams Praised for Instincts, Skills

Reid also has USC football's Williams ranked number one based on the game film and in spite of his team's average record.

“There's only two on my board — USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye,” Reid said.

“Williams is the class' top QB (No. 2 overall for me), with the instincts to create off-script and the playmaking ability to change an NFL offense.

“But Maye — who has a great arm and solid ball placement — is certainly making it interesting as the No. 3 player on my board. They both look like early picks come April.

“The QB3 spot is where things get interesting, and while there will likely be more than two signal-callers taken on Day 1, only Williams and Maye are graded there for me at the moment.”