Paul Finebaum sends warning to Caleb Williams amid rumors on future
Nobody denies Caleb Williams‘ talent. However, there’s more to a player than their performance on the field. Williams has been surrounded by off-field antics this season, highlighted by outlandish demands of receiving minority ownership of the NFL team that drafts him.
After USC’s 34-32 loss to Utah on Saturday, FS1 analyst Emmanuel Acho floated the idea of Williams sitting out the remainder of the season to protect his draft stock. During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” Paul Finebaum condemned the proposal.
“I find that to be outrageous,” Finebaum said. “I don’t know the people in Caleb Williams’ inner circle but they are possibly going to go down as the biggest bunch of fools that have ever advised a college football player. Starting out with wanting a piece of the franchise and now this.
“He’s a young guy, who now is on a second shot. He was the talk of college football. Finish the season. Have fun. Try to help your team and quit listening to this. This is a pack of wolves who are in the other room telling you what to do.”
If Williams decided to follow Acho’s advice, he’d certainly be leaving college football with a sour taste in its mouth. In USC’s fall to Utah, Williams recorded just 256 passing yards. He did not record a passing touchdown.
He did record a rushing touchdown, but his ground game was anything but impressive. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner rushed 10 times for 27 yards, averaging 2.7 yards per carry. The lackluster performance was a reminder that Williams is only human.
And if the message still didn’t sink in for the standout quarterback, Finebaum sent him a blunt reminder.
“You’re not that important. I don’t mean to dismiss the fact that he may be the No. 1 pick, but you’re no longer the centerpiece of the game,” Finebaum said. “Be a college player and try to lead your team to something good and quit acting like you’re more than you are.
“I don’t think you’re going to help your stock in the NFL by making idiotic decisions like this. These people aren’t going away. They’ll be with you next April when the NFL Draft comes around.”
Caleb Williams is more than a football player
If Williams sat out the remainder of the season, his teammates wouldn’t be the only ones suffering. Williams boasts NIL agreements with Athletic Brewing Company, Fanatics, Neutrogena, AT&T, Beats by Dre, PlayStation, AC+ION Water and Dr. Pepper.
With a $2.7 million On3 NIL valuation, Williams is currently the third-highest earner in college football. A failure to play would be a failure to earn for these companies. Finebaum advises Williams not to go down that road.
“If you signed all those deals — I mean, if you learn anything about business as you get older, Caleb, you do have to show up for work when you are being paid.”