Tom Brady. Aaron Rodgers. Peyton Manning. These are names even the most basic football fan could recite. Some consider them legends, others the best to ever do it. Now imagine the skills of these three amazing QBs combined into one player. That, my friend, is Caleb Sequan Williams. A Washington DC native currently in the Chicago Bears QB rotation, Williams was regarded as a first overall pick before the draft. 2 years before his senior season, Williams was a backup behind a famed prospect named Spencer Rattler. Rattler, a decent QB who never lived up to his potential, was drafted 5th overall by the New Orleans Saints in this year's Draft. Williams on the other hand, went from Rattler's shadow to a multimillion dollar QB expected to start for the Bears Next Season. The question is, how did Williams go from a backup at Oklahoma to a first-overall pick?

Williams started his career as an Oklahoma Sooner, sitting for the First 5 games of his freshman year before he was thrown in the spotlight in the Sooners 6th game of the year. Down 35-14 to Oklahoma's longtime rival the Texas Longhorns, starting QB Spencer Rattler was shaken up by the Longhorns ' heavy defense. He had thrown 3 picks with only 72 yards of total passing offense. With Oklahoma's playoff hopes being shut down with a loss, Coach Brent Venables threw the rookie in to see if he could drum up some second-half magic. Williams did nothing short of that, throwing for 4 touchdowns as the Sooners climbed out of their 1st half-hole to win 55-48. After this jaw-dropping performance by Williams, he assumed the starting spot for the remainder of the season, taking Oklahoma to a 9-2 final record and a Bowl appearance. After the season, Williams used his newfound fame to transfer to a rival school, not knowing this was when his career would start to take off. 

Williams' 2022 campaign started hot, living up to all the expectations from his stint at Oklahoma. He carried the Trojans to a 9-0 start and a number 10 ranking in the CFP polls. It was here though, where Williams would finally cool off, throwing a below average 2 picks along with a touchdown and 172 yards in a loss to Utah. After a Bowl win against UCLA, Williams with his exceptional season racking up over 4,500 passing yards and 42 touchdown passes was nominated for the Heisman Award. He won it easily, and just like that, the kid from Washington DC went from a backup to a Heisman winner in his sophomore season.

While Williams was expected to fare the same or better in his junior season, USC now had a target on their back as the school to beat. After a 6-0 start, Williams was upset by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, which he was remembered for throwing a pick on a potential game-winning drive, thus giving ND possession back and ending the game. While Williams was still going decently strong throughout his Junior Season, he began to show a small interception problem, racking up 5 through his final 6 games. USC finished the season 8-5, and while it might have been disappointing for Trojans fans, everyone was excited to see if Williams would declare for the NFL Draft. 

Williams ended up declaring after NFL scouting reports showed him as a top 3 potential QB in the draft. While he finished his college career strong, his interception problem was still looming through NFL scouting rooms. Eventually, top scouts passed this on as a coachable issue and instead focused on his strong arm and ability to scramble when needed. Williams was drafted 1st overall in this year's draft, similar to the story of former #1 pick Sam Darnold. Darnold, a first pick choice by the New York Jets in 2016, was seen by Coaches as the next Dan Marino, with a strong arm and the ability to pinpoint passes. He never lived up to that hype and is currently a backup for the Carolina Panthers. The true question is, while Williams has lived up to the pressure and hype in College, can he perform at the NFL Level, or will he fade away like others before him?