Caleb Williams ‘21 Soars to Historic Heights

By: Billy Cannon ‘24 Editor

The Heisman Trophy has long been the most prestigious award in college football, with 85 winners since 1935. Only one player has ever won the trophy twice, Ohio State running back Archie Griffin in the 1970s. Now, one of Gonzaga’s own has done the same.

On Saturday, December 10, with a plethora of Gonzaga students gathered on campus to watch the ceremony, Caleb Williams ‘21 was awarded the Heisman Trophy. He beat out fellow quarterbacks Max Duggan of TCU, Stetson Bennett of Georgia, and CJ Stroud of Ohio State. Williams received 2,031 votes, beating out Duggan by 611 votes. He is the first player from the DMV, let alone Gonzaga, to win the Heisman.

After transferring from Oklahoma, Caleb excelled in his first year at Southern Cal. In 14 games, he threw for 4,537 yards, good for fourth in the nation, as well as 42 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions. He also rushed for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns, cementing himself as not only a passing threat but a rushing threat. Not only did he win the Heisman, but he also won the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award, awards also given to the best player in the country. He was named a first-team All-American and won Player of the Year Awards from both CBS Sports and the Associated Press. He led the Trojans to a Pac-12 championship berth, but they fell to the Utah Utes in the championship game, at the same time falling out of contention for the College Football Playoff. USC faced off against AAC champion

Tulane in the Cotton Bowl and ultimately lost against them, finishing the season ranked 12th in the nation.

Although Caleb and USC ultimately fell short of their playoff aspirations, it is undeniable that Caleb had one of the best seasons in recent memory. Although he is not eligible to declare for the NFL Draft, some in the football community have already raised talks about his case to be the #1 overall pick in 2024.

Most impressive of all is that Caleb did all this as a sophomore. He became the eighth player in the history of the Heisman trophy to win the award before his junior year, and will return to school next year in an effort to become the second player to ever win the award twice.

There has never been any debate that the WCAC has been a source of athletic talent at the highest level. Gonzaga itself has produced multiple professional athletes at all levels, including several NFL players. However, we have never seen an athlete of this caliber before.

By: Brendan Rohde ‘24 Contributor