Caleb Williams’ ascent to the top pick in the NFL Draft from being a ‘generational’ talent at the collegiate level has hyped up expectations for his upcoming journey. Chicago has pinned their hopes on Williams, who has shown nothing but confidence in sending strong messages across the league with his entry. Amidst the frenzy, USC head coach Lincoln Riley offered a reality check for the Bears’ quarterback, emphasizing that he still has much ground to cover. He didn’t shy away from giving him his due credit either while drawing parallels with the reigning Super Bowl champion.
During his recent appearance on ‘The Rich Eisen Show‘, Riley highlighted a crucial distinction between Caleb Williams and once the 10th overall draft in 2017, Patrick Mahomes. Unraveling the details, the head coach stressed the importance of Williams developing an ability to win in various situations like Mahomes, which won’t come easy. The rookie has to keep grinding and follow the same steps Mahomes took in his initial years.
“It’s the physical skills I think, there’s a lot of similarities (between Mahomes and Williams),” Riley said.“Pat has continued to progress throughout his NFL career like I said, he has really refined his game and every part about itn — his mental capacity and his decision making. He certainly has the inner belief and now he’s got to go to work and hopefully end up in as great a situation as Pat did in Kansas City.”
But Caleb Williams got picked first overall for a reason. He is ready to put in the work. He has said so himself by claiming that he is ready to “handle things the way things need to be handled” while also aiming to surpass CJ Stroud’s OROY performance. And while Williams already made the cut with his ‘future Hall of Famer’ tag in FSB, Lincoln Riley thinks they have more talent that can replace him as the top USC quarterback in years to come.
Lincoln Riley Advocates for Another USC Standout as Caleb Williams’ Replacement
Following Caleb Williams’ remarkable journey from USC to the Chicago Bears as the No. 1 overall pick, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is tasked with finding his successor. Riley named three potential candidates, with Miller Moss emerging as the favorite. He expressed confidence in the quarterback room, singling out Moss for his standout performance in the bowl game against Louisville.
“We’ve had a good battle, you know. Miller Moss came in the bowl game and played outstanding. He was lights out against Louisville,” Riley disclosed.
Moss Miller is a redshirt junior who has doubled up on his talent on multiple occasions, setting records and making significant contributions to USC’s offense, much like his predecessor, Caleb Williams. With impressive records and performances in the Holiday Bowl, Moss will compete for the starting quarterback position in the upcoming season.
In his career at USC, Moss’ accuracy and efficiency have helped him boast a completion rate of 71.7%. Moreover, his ability to deliver touchdowns under pressure has earned him accolades like most TD passes thrown in the Bowl game, most TD passes thrown in a USC bowl game, and most TD passes thrown by a USC QB in his first Trojan game (six), amongst others.
