LOOK: Caleb Williams hypes up Travis Dye ahead of 2022 season
New USC quarterback Caleb Williams is ready to get to work in Los Angeles with just over a month until the Trojans kick off the season versus Rice. On Monday, Williams took to Twitter to hype up his new running back Travis Dye. Along with a graphic showing Dye’s 1,271 yards from 2021, he tweeted, “You see it!!!”
The former Oregon Ducks running back is the top returning running back in the Pac-12, but now he’s toting the rock for Lincoln Riley. In four years at Oregon, Dye rushed 521 times for 3,111 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 83 passes for 869 yards, along with eight receiving touchdowns.
Although Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison were the biggest headline-makers for Riley this offseason, the Travis Dye acquisition was also a huge move. Not only did it give the Trojans a running back who can make up for roughly 80% of lost carries from last season, but it also weakened a conference rival at the same time.
Last week, Dye landed on the Doak Walker Award watch list. Fellow transfer Austin Jones out of Stanford also made the watch list and could give Dye a hard time matching his production level from last season. The Trojans also have a third running back, returner Darwin Barlow, who could split carries.
After moving closer to home at USC, Dye could take advantage of a hot NIL market. His NIL Valuation is currently $244,000, which is fourth on the team based on On3’s data. His valuation had a 580% increase in late May after making the move.
Dye, Williams and the Trojans take on their first Pac-12 opponent in Stanford on Sept. 10. They face fellow Pac-12 defector UCLA in the back-half of the season before the rivalry game versus Notre Dame.