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Caleb Williams is an early Heisman favorite

Erik-McKinneyby: Erik McKinney02/07/22ErikTMcKinney
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Less than one full week into the Caleb Williams era at USC, the hype train is speeding faster than race cars in the Coliseum. He hasn’t yet taken a snap for the Trojans, but also hasn’t been out of the spotlight.

After landing at USC, Williams landed an NIL deal with Beats by Dre and became part owner of modern grooming brand Faculty.

On Monday, he was established as one of the early betting favorites for the Heisman Trophy by FOXBet. Williams comes in at +800. He lands behind the no-brainer favorites in Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Young, at +250, is looking to become the first back-to-back winner since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin did so in 1974 and 1975. Stroud might still be completing passes against Utah. He finished this past season by setting several Rose Bowl records. He threw for 573 yards and six touchdowns in a thrilling win against the Utes.

Williams likely would have made this list had he remained at Oklahoma. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound quarterback threw for 1,912 yards, rushed for 442 yards and accounted for 27 touchdowns as a part-time starter and true freshman last season. Lincoln Riley’s move to USC and the race to make the Trojans competitive on the national stage again is one of the major stories to this college football offseason. With his subsequent move from Normal to Los Angeles, Williams becomes a key figure in that storyline.

Williams is looking to become USC’s eighth Heisman winner overall. He would be the first since running back Reggie Bush won the award following the 2005 season.

USC fans will recognize a few names on the list.

Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis is listed at +2,000. JT Daniels and Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart are both at +2,500. And USC running back Travis Dye is in at +5,000.

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz