USC football is currently in a period of transition following the departure of former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams to the NFL Draft. Williams is widely expected to be the number one overall pick this spring after single-handedly leading USC back to semi-relevance over the last couple of years.

Still, the superstar isn't without his doubters, one of whom is former NFL running back Merril Hoge, who recently stated, “the one thing that is clear: He is not special,” per Bears Talk on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter. “He's not something unique like a Patrick Mahomes, and I hope the Bears don't think, ‘Let’s try to make up for our mistake when we passed up Patrick Mahomes and go get the [next] Patrick Mahomes.'”

Now, Hoge is doubling down on that harsh criticism.

“From a pocket presence perspective, he's not special… That might be the one thing that hinders him more than anything,” said Hoge, via Herd W/ Colin Cowherd on X.

It's unclear whether Hoge had access to a different set of film on Caleb Williams than the rest of the country saw during his time at USC football. While he did make mistakes at times, it's objectively extremely difficult to see how one could view his play on the field and come to the conclusion that he's not “special” from a pocket presence perspective.

In any case, the NFL Draft is set to take place in April. The Chicago Bears own the number one pick.