On Monday, the entire college football world was in disbelief about the news that Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams had entered the transfer portal. Williams took the starting job from the the preseason favorite to win the Heisman trophy Spence Rattler mid-season. Spencer has since transferred to South Carolina where he is expected to become the starter for the 2022 season.
So it comes as a surprise that Williams would enter the transfer portal. Some have speculated that he was considering joining his former head coach Lincoln Riley at USC . If that is the case then that would be a good reason to leave Oklahoma. The Sooners are bringing in Brent Venables from Clemson to be the new head coach with a defensive philosophy.
But, word is quickly spreading that Georgia might be the frontrunners to win Caleb Williams services. This would be a huge addition to an already crowded QB room filled with former 4 and 5 star prospects. The Dawgs recruited Williams out of high school like most programs but decided to go in a different direction. Georgia’s QB room for 2022 includes former starter JT Daniels, 4-star Gunner Stockton, 5-star Brock Vandegriff, and 4-star Carson Beck.
Why would Georgia bring in a guy like Williams? To compete and possibly lead the Dawgs to a championship. The Dawgs made a huge mistake when they let Justin Fields slip right out of their hands. A player who could have the same type of talent as Fields out in the portal could be the blessing Georgia has been looking for.
Remember, in the games where Georgia loss to either Alabama, LSU, or Florida under Kirby Smart it has been an elite quarterback that has made the difference. Kirby’s defenses were trying to hold back great quarterbacks from scoring which included future NFL 1st and 2nd round picks. Alabam had Tua Tagovailoa, Matt Jones, Jalen Hurts, LSUs had Joe Burrow, and Florida had Kyle Trask. Caleb Williams could be the equalizer Georgia has been looking for.
At the moment this is only a rumor, a speculation, a hypothetical possibility that could happen.
NIL
The NIL ruling came July which allowed for players to take advantage of their name, image, and likeness. We have all asked when will it start to effect recruiting and the transfer portal. It hasn’t taken long for the NIL to be brought up as to why a player might transfer or choose to commit to a program.
There is speculation that the only reason Williams has entered the transfer portal and has been mentioned to be considering Georgia is because of a NIL deal that is on the table. For a guy like Williams who has the NFL comparison to Cowboy quarterback Dan Prescott, I would be shocked if that is the reason.
Williams has the option to stay in Norman, Oklahoma and lead the Sooners as the next great quarterback or head to Cali and join forces with Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. He would make far more money in Cali vs Athens, Georgia.
Some might be too young to remember when USC had head coach Pete Carroll, quarterback Matt Leinart, and running back Reggie Bush in 2005. If the NIL ruling had happened in 2005 that USC team would have broke the bank with the amount of deals they would have received from some of the top brands in that time period. Caleb at USC with a coach like Lincoln Riley could bring that type of energy back to USC and draw in some of the NIL opportunities that are waiting for a player like Williams.
Only time will tell if Williams will take the opportunity to USC or take the risk of competing and losing the job at Georgia.