WASHINGTON — Former USC quarterback Caleb Williams was unsurprisingly drafted first overall by the Chicago Bears Thursday night during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Gonzaga College High School alum has long been lauded as the best quarterback in this draft class and it is believed he has the skill to turn the Bears franchise around.
In 2018, he led his private, Catholic high school team in Northwest, D.C. to a WCAC championship and won countless awards during the duration of his high school career. Williams threw a 60-year Hail Mary pass to win the game right as the clock expired.
“The Hail Mary pass in 2018 that won us a championship at Catholic University was the single coolest sporting event I’ve ever witnessed in my life," said Devon Leary, the Director of Community, Outreach & Culture at Gonzaga.
Williams began his collegiate career at Oklahoma in 2021 where he started seven games, before transferring to USC the following season. His first season in Southern California was statistically his best as he finished with 4,537 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, and only five interceptions. His spectacular season won him college football’s most prestigious award, the Heisman trophy, at the end of the 2022 season.
The QB put together another stellar season in his final year at USC, with over 3,000 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only five interceptions.
9 things we learned from USC Pro Day:
- Williams measured in at 6-foot-1, 217 pounds. Williams said that playing weight is optimal for him because it'll allow him to get right back up after being hit in the NFL.
- Despite being the consensus number one pick, which the Chicago Bears own, all 32 NFL teams sent representatives to Los Angeles.
- Linebacker Shane Lee from Burtonsville, Maryland, impressed his teammates with his physique. At 6-foot and 240 pounds, he was still able to run a 4.60 in the 40-yard-dash event.
- The Commanders are exploring every option, and they're very serious about it, as they sent GM Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to the City of Angels.
- The Chicago Bears, who we mentioned have the first overall pick in the draft, flexed their muscles by bringing newly minted wide receiver Keenan Allen with them to the Pro Day to get acquainted with his possible future QB?
- Wide receiver Brenden Rice, son of hall of famer Jerry Rice, exuded confidence at the early morning workout, saying that he will be taking over as the number one receiver of whichever team drafts him in April.
- Williams didn't participate in the NFL Combine because he wanted his teammates to share the spotlight with him at the Pro Day.
- This was the first time Williams has thrown with the cameras on him since the end of the Trojans season back in mid-November.
- Williams, a Gonzaga high school graduate, recognized our own Chick Hernandez who was at USC Pro Day, with a "have I met you before?"
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