If you've watched any USC football games over the past two seasons, you know just how big of a presence Caleb Williams has been for a program that spent the better part of the past decade in a dark place. The quarterback's decision to follow coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC in the spring of 2022 changed the trajectory of Troy's history, pivoting USC from a 4-8 team to one that won 11 of his first 12 games, became a College Football Playoff contender and was once again in the national conversation. That December, Williams became the eighth Troy to win the Heisman Trophy. Of that eight, which also included Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson and Carson Palmer, Williams may be the most talented.
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It wasn't just his magic on the football field that made the 22-year-old Williams an overnight South celebrity. Williams is not just a generational talent, he's the face, perhaps the “face,” of a generation that has disrupted the economic model of college sports: athletes, no longer amateurs in name only, can now make money off their name, image and likeness. During his time at USC, Williams built a NIL portfolio worth an estimated $10 million that included megabrands like Wendy's, Dr. Pepper, Nissan, Beet's, Postmates, Neutrogena and ALO Yoga.
Winning didn't come easy last season. USC went 7-5, losing five of its final six games. Criticism flew more freely, and at times more petty. But in a city built around brands, only the authority of LeBron James was more influential among individual athletes last year. Williams' influence is only growing. The Chicago Bears selected him first overall in April's NFL draft.
But Williams has been in the spotlight for a while now, and he's grown accustomed to the pressure that comes with it. Two years ago, before the Heisman Trophy and the Dr Pepper commercials and the speculation about the future and the nails and the tears, Williams sat in the seats of the Los Angeles Coliseum, looking out at the empty stadium and the sprawling city where he would soon be a national star.
As Williams already somewhat figured out where he stood in the ever-changing landscape of his new city and college sports overall, he remembered a lesson his father, Carl, had taught him years earlier, one that would later serve him well when anyone tried to quantify his value.
“Always bring my number,” Williams said, “and if they don't want it, well, you know your worth.”
