USC’s new WR transfer solves a frustrating issue from last year’s offense

The player Kyle Whittingham called Utah's "wide receiver one" will be wearing cardinal and gold instead in 2025. Rising sophomore pass-catcher Zacharyus Williams announced his transfer to USC in a move that could reshape the Trojans depth chart.

We may be talking about a former three-star receiver and Utah transfer with 10 catches and 101 yards in his career, but there's good reason to get hyped about Williams. I promise, this is not blowing smoke.

Williams has exactly what USC needs at receiver — something too many of the athletes that quarterback Miller Moss and Jayden Maiava had to throw to last year lacked. He can separate.

Zacharyus Williams has the technical skills USC needs more of at wide receiver

Greg Biggins of 247Sports described Williams as "an advanced route runner [who] can get easy separation right off the snap." That was when he was coming out of high school at Gardena Serra. He's a year older now and that much more polished after breaking out at the very end of Utah's season and then taking another step forward during spring ball.

"He’s the guy that’s making the most plays, getting open, running the best routes, catching the football the cleanest," Whittingham said before the transfer twist.

The Trojans had a lot of hope for last year's receiving corps, and for good reason. The room was loaded with talent, if not proven production. Unfortunately, the talent didn't always rise to the occasion.

It's one thing to run fast or to jump high. It's another thing to be a great college football wide receiver. The best ones pair the physical tools with technical skills and a competitive mindset. See Lemon, Makai.

The problem was Makai Lemon felt like the only player in USC's WR group that consistently flashed the ability to run a crisp route and create separation. Other youngsters lacked the technical tools and reliability. Veterans lacked the physical ones.

So Williams stands out as a player with the right balance of athleticism and skill. And it's not just separation. He's a playmaker with quickness to run jet sweeps, the feel to get open over the middle, the toughness to make a contest catch on the sideline and the dynamism to gain yards with the ball in his hands. He showed that off in Utah's season finale against UCF, going off for six catches and 72 yards.

And again in the Utes spring game.

Williams is only a true sophomore and he'll be dropped into a new locker room with a new playbook to learn this summer. If it takes him some time to settle in, that would be completely understandable. But getting him up to speed quickly could be the key to USC fielding a fully-loaded receiving corps.

Lemon is the sure-thing in the slot. Ja'Kobe Lane has all the potential on the outside as a big-bodied matchup nightmare. Beyond those two, the Trojans have a lot of uncertainty. Williams could answer that by winning a starting job right out the gate. He was on track to do that in Salt Lake City.

Some more things Biggins said about Williams, just to whet your appetite: He had "some of the strongest hands in the region." He is "a physical player who can make contested catches and win jump balls." He's strong against the press and "an excellent blocker." He's "highly competitive" with "a nice edge to his game."

Yeah, that'll play.