USC star quarterback Caleb Williams will not play in the team’s upcoming Holiday Bowl vs. Louisville on Dec. 27, coach Lincoln Riley announced Monday. While the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has not officially declared for the NFL Draft, this feels like a clear indication that Williams’ spectacular three-year college football career is over.
Williams’ role as arguably college football’s biggest star is unquestioned. A highlight reel on every play, Williams willed the Trojans throughout many of their wins — and losses — as a force that demanded constant attention. His well-followed journey from Oklahoma to USC (under the direction of coach Lincoln Riley) included a run of the sport’s most prestigious individual honors in 2022, including the Heisman, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards. That year, Williams threw for more than 4,500 yards and tallied more than 50 total touchdowns.