2024 NFL Draft prospect Caleb Williams has responded to the prospect of team's 'tanking' this season for the opportunity to select him next year, while already naming the team he'd prefer to go to.
Seen as one of the best quarterbacks to enter the NFL in a number of years, Williams will be draft eligible next off-season after he impressed scouts with his incredible performances in the 2022 season. Williams transferred away from Oklahoma along with head coach Lincoln Riley - the man who previously coached Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield - as they both joined USC.
And in his first year as their starter, Williams put together one of most impressive seasons in decades. He scored 52 touchdowns to just five interceptions, leading the team to an 11-3 record and winning the Heisman Trophy in the process.
While three quarterbacks were drafted in the top five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, experts generally believe Williams is a much more talented player, and already would have gone higher than them had he been eligible this year, despite just one year as a starter.
Despite still being months away from the new season getting underway, it remains clear that a number of teams are hoping to have a chance at acquiring Williams to solve their problems at quarterback.
The Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings are amongst those without a long-term plan at quarterback at present, and all have weakened their roster this off-season when they could have made a run at numerous players available. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals have two first round picks in next year's draft and all four teams have faced accusations they could end up tanking.
Williams won't know what team he'll be playing for almost a year yet, and he's spoken very confidently on the idea of team's tanking for his services.
He told USAToday: "It wasn’t any surprise or anything (to see the talk about teams tanking for him). I work hard to try and be the best, so there’s no surprise (with) any of that, whatever they talk about on TV or social media. Not too pressing. Not bothered by it.
"I’ve been working really hard to have moments like this, to be in big-time moments or big-time games, whatever the case may be.
"It is cool because, like I said, I’ve been working hard for many, many years to be in this position and (have) this opportunity, to maybe re-up on the Heisman and go get the golden trophy at the end in January in Houston and possibly go No. 1."
The aforementioned four teams will be in with a big chance of drafting Williams, likely all have a high draft pick. However, the USC star has already named the team he'd prefer to join, in the Miami Dolphins. He would be paired with two of the elite wide receivers in the league in Miami, but it's a move unlikely to happen with the team expected to be Super Bowl contenders while having Tua Tagovailoa as their starter.
Asked why he named the Dolphins as the team he'd like to play for earlier this year, Williams told People Magazine: "I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. They have two of the fastest players in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Plus, I want to play for a young coach and Mike McDaniel is a cool guy from when I met him a couple times."
While Williams will be the prize of the 2024 NFL Draft, he won't be the only potential generational player.
Fellow quarterbacks Drake Maye (UNC) and Quinn Ewers (Texas) are expected to be a high draft picks, having been compared to Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, tight end Brock Bowers (Georgia) and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr (Ohio State) are both expected to be elite playmakers in the NFL, and to be taken within the top 10 picks.
