Caleb Williams shares encouraging update on Mario Williams, Jordan Addison

No. 8 USC has what should be a tune-up game this weekend against 1-8 Colorado before an all-important showdown with No. 12 UCLA that will have massive Pac-12 title implications. Getting receivers Mario Williams and Jordan Addison healthy again will be key.

Neither have played since USC’s loss to Utah on Oct. 15, dealing with injury.

Both have returned to practice, albeit in a limited capacity and the Trojans believe both are ‘very close,’ according to coach Lincoln Riley, to making their return to the field.

“They’ve actually looked like they haven’t missed a day,” USC quarterback Caleb Williams said Monday. “We said that in a meeting this morning with the Qs when we were watching film of yesterday of them moving around, running. They looked like they haven’t missed a day and they’ve been out, what, the last two, three weeks?”

Despite missing the team’s last two games, Addison and Williams still ranks at the team’s top two wideouts.

Addison, the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner and a Pittsburgh transfer, has recorded 39 catches for 585 yard and seven touchdowns. Williams, an Oklahoma transfer like his brother, has accounted for 26 catches, 493 yards and four touchdowns.

“It’s awesome to get them back,” Caleb Williams said. “Just adds a little more weapons to the offense again and can’t wait to get out there with them.”

Mario Williams, Jordan Addison healthy makes USC offense lethal

Surprisingly, even with Addison and Williams sidelined the last two games, the USC offense has still been plenty potent.

The Trojans threw for a season-high 411 yards in a win over Arizona without the top duo, while reaching 360 yards last week in the win over California. Still, getting both back from injury would be a major boost to the offense.

Riley is still looking for improved play from his quarterback, which could be aided by the return of two of his top targets.

“I just think continuing to prepare at a high level. Go play at a high level and understand what we’re seeing, understand how we’re trying to attack,” Riley said. “He’s done a nice job I think operating with some of the different lineup changes, really the front and obviously the at the skill positions, we played a lot of different people the last few weeks and he’s done a good job handling that.”

USC will take on Colorado on Saturday in a game that kicks off at 9:30 p.m. ET with a broadcast on FS1.