LOS ANGELES — The past few weeks, USC quarterback Caleb Williams has seen an uptick in text messages from friends and family. Some are congratulatory, others are commenting on all the hype surrounding Williams as a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
Williams is sure to send an obligatory “thank you” back, then tries to get back to the work at hand for the Trojans.
“One of the things that we did two weeks ago was block out the noise and that’s what I’ve been doing because we have bigger goals in mind,” Williams said after practice Tuesday. “I’m sticking to my same routine, still trying to lead these guys.”
Williams and the Trojans will face Utah on Friday in the Pac-12 championship game in Las Vegas. A win there, and USC will lock up its spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
So that is where the attention should be. But Williams has established himself as the Heisman favorite at this point in the season. His 44 total touchdowns are a single-season record at USC, and his 65.8% completion rate is higher than either Matt Leinart’s or Carson Palmer’s during their Heisman campaigns at USC.
Williams first learned of the Heisman, given annually to college football’s best player, when he was nearing the end of elementary school. It quickly became a goal of his, as he’s always considered himself the best player on the field.
“I thought that last year when I was playing, I thought it before I came into college,” Williams said. “It’s a certain confidence.”
And it was something head coach Lincoln Riley spoke with Williams about when he first recruited the quarterback to Oklahoma. Riley coached Heisman winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray with the Sooners, as well as finalist Jalen Hurts. So the comparison resonated with Williams.
“[Riley] believed that I had traits of them all and also had some unique traits of myself,” Williams said. “He tries to recruit guys like that, that can help him go win championships.”
It’s the idea of a championship that Williams is trying to focus on right now, despite all the hype surrounding him personally. His teammates have appreciated that concentration, with linebacker Shane Lee noting that Williams has not brought up the possibility of the award with the team.
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Williams said he’s relied on his family as a support system, as well as lessons learned from his parents to guide him through these moments.
“I want to win and getting too big-headed and focusing on the highs and anything like that is where you start going downhill,” Williams said. “So focusing on routine, being here, trying to win with these guys and leading them keeps things in perspective.”