Caleb Williams draft eligibility: When is USC QB eligible for the NFL Draft?

USC quarterback Caleb Williams looks like the next Patrick Mahomes but teams will have to wait for a chance to select him in the NFL Draft.

NFL fans who have watched Caleb Williams play for USC football this season have been given good reason to anticipate his entry into the pros.

The Trojan QB won the Maxwell Award and the AP Player of the Year Award in 2022 after leading the nation in touchdowns. He is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Impressively, he stepped into a USC team that was 4-8 and 2021 and turned them around to go 11-2. A hamstring injury in the Pac-12 title game limited his ability to lead the Trojans to the Pac-12 title and a playoff berth.

However, he is not going to be eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft.

When is Caleb Williams eligible for the NFL Draft?

Williams will be a junior in 2023. He will be able to enter the pool for the 2024 NFL Draft.

That means he’s not going to be selected in the coming year, so all those quarterback-needy teams will have to find their guy among the crop of 2023 QBs.

With Patrick Mahomes-esque plays on display throughout the 2022 campaign, it’s not too much of a stretch to say tanking for Williams’ services will be on the table though. He looks like a generational player. Guys like Williams don’t come around all that often.

That’ll have to be a conversation for next year. He’s going to have his chance to get USC to the playoff in 2023 while likely entering the season as the Heisman favorite.