Caleb Williams

Early life

Williams was born in Washington, D.C., and attended Gonzaga College High School. He is of Black and Native American descent and a member of the Piscataway-Conoy Tribe of Maryland. As a sophomore in 2018, he led Gonzaga to a WCAC Championship with a game-winning Hail Mary pass. As a junior in 2019, he again earned All-Metropolitan first team honors, throwing for 1,770 yards with 19 touchdowns and rushing for 838 yards with 18 touchdowns. He was named Elite 11 finals MVP the following summer. His senior season in 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19. The highest-rated quarterback prospect of his class, he committed to Oklahoma.

College career

Williams began his true freshman season in 2021 as the backup to Spencer Rattler at Oklahoma. He took over as starter midway through the game against Texas, rallying the Sooners from a 35–17 deficit to a 55–48 victory with 212 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 88 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. In his first start the following week against TCU, he threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown in a 52–31 win.

He finished his freshman year with 1,912 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and four interceptions, plus 442 rushing yards and six touchdowns in seven games. On January 3, 2022, he entered the transfer portal and on February 1 announced he had transferred to USC, reuniting with head coach Lincoln Riley. He was named starter on August 25 and team captain six days later. In his first start for USC, he completed 19 of 22 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns in a 66–14 win over Rice.

The Trojans lost to Tulane 45–46 in the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic. Williams was named AP College Football Player of the Year and won the 2022 Heisman Trophy, finishing the season with 4,537 passing yards, an NCAA-leading 42 touchdowns, and five interceptions, plus 382 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. In 2023, the Trojans went 7–5 in the regular season, with Williams throwing for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns, and five interceptions, and rushing for 142 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He declared for the 2024 NFL draft, ending his college career with over 10,000 passing yards and 120 total touchdowns. USC retired his number 13 in 2024.

Professional career

Williams was widely projected as a top pick and the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft. Analysts praised his improvisational abilities but noted concerns about his size and tendency to play hero ball. He was compared to Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson, and Steve McNair. The Chicago Bears selected him first overall, a pick acquired from the Carolina Panthers in a trade that also brought receiver D. J. Moore.

He was one of six quarterbacks taken in the first round, tying the 1983 draft record. Because his college number 13 was taken by Keenan Allen, Williams switched to his high school number 18, announced less than half an hour after his selection. His draft night merchandise sales broke a Fanatics record. He was named the Bears' starter in May and signed a four-year, $39.4 million fully guaranteed rookie contract on July 17.

Williams became the first quarterback selected first overall to win his season-opening NFL debut since 2002, completing 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers in a 24–17 win over the Titans. Two weeks later, he recorded his first two career touchdowns and set the Bears' single-game rookie passing record with 363 yards in a 21–16 loss to the Colts. After a 1–2 start, he led victories over the Rams and Panthers, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns against Carolina, becoming the first Bears rookie quarterback with multiple 300-yard games.

In Week 6 in London, he threw four touchdown passes in a 35–16 win over the Jaguars, giving Chicago their first three-game win streak since 2020.