USC football: Latest transfer news opens door for Caleb Williams

The USC Trojans could be close to landing star Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams with Jaxson Dart entering the portal.

Dart was tabbed as the likely Kedon Slovis replacement, hence his decision to leave and head to Pitt. But now that Williams, a former 5-star talent, is available and willing to follow his former head coach Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles, Dart is thinking about his future as well.

Per Rivals, Dart was the No. 5-ranked dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school. Dart threw for nine touchdowns and five interceptions, paired with 1,353 yards passing last season. In the right offense, the Utah product could be electric.

USC football: Will Caleb Williams follow Lincoln Riley?

Williams was spotted in LA over the weekend in just the latest social media rumor to surface regarding the D.C. prospect.

Riley has a reputation of developing NFL-ready quarterbacks — just look what he did with Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, among others. Williams’ father stated that his son’s preferred career path is to play football professionally, and it’s that sort of honesty that pairs him well with Riley.

"“Professional development. We want Caleb to be ready to play when he becomes a pro. You go to college to get prepared for your career. His chosen career path is professional football. We want him to be prepared for when that time comes,” said Willams."

The Trojans are coming off a 4-8 season, but there is genuine excitement surrounding the program for the first time in years. Riley is a top-5 coach in the country, and getting him to bail on a blue blood program to come to Southern California is unheard of, and a surprise most of the country (including those in Norman) didn’t see coming.

Playing in the PAC-12 is a whole lot more appetizing than being a new member of the SEC, evidently. Riley’s competition at USC is sure to be a lot less intimidating in the long run, and having a quarterback like Williams to lead the way will give the Trojans a great head start in Year 1.

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