Caleb Williams - unreal player (and who will get him?)

[NoSaint]

21 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The same system is potentially relevant (or at least somewhat). In this case it would be a bonus playing for Reilly. The rest of it seems like a stretch. That’s at least true for the teams with a national recruiting base. 

I’ll agree that the rest was probably more relevant 20+ years ago than today when recruiting was a bit more of a silo. 
 

though I think we both can also agree to some degree that a guy going to play in Miami probably has a different motivation profile than a guy playing at bama vs a guy playing at Notre dame - and coaches may come and go without that 100% changing

[BeavercreekBillsFan]

1 hour ago, mannc said:

AZ might be really bad this year, but if they can get Williams and Harrison, they could turn it around in a hurry, especially if Paris Johnson turns out to be a solid LT and they hit on a couple of defenders in the draft.    

 

And yes, I think there is every indication that the Lambs will shut down both Kupp and Stafford this year, at which point you can expect Aaron Donald to take a few "veteran rest" weeks, or maybe even get traded...

100% all this. I’ve actually wondered what it would take to pry Donald away from them lol

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

5 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I don’t know who said that college and the NFL were the same? Equal shot? What does that even mean? It’s COMPLETELY irrelevant how previous players played at a school. You ONLY evaluate the player. The history of the school at a position means nothing. That holds especially true with a different coaching staff.

 

In terms of the Heisman, it wasn’t a great indicator of pro value for years. Guys like Jason White and Eric Crouch won. Over the last 16 years, 15 Heisman winners have been 1st rounders (Derrick Henry as the exception). 7 of them went first overall (Williams will be 8). The Heisman is a decent indicator of draft position in 2023. That’s how NFL teams view these guys.

Because certain schools are known for churning out different positions. Like Wisconsin for o-line or Ohio state for DBs (i think we had 3 players at one time.) USC is not known there for QBs. 

[Kirby Jackson]

10 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Because certain schools are known for churning out different positions. Like Wisconsin for o-line or Ohio state for DBs (i think we had 3 players at one time.) USC is not known there for QBs. 

That’s an antiquated way of thinking. Schools used to recruit regionally. That died maybe 15 or so years ago. Now, the biggest programs have a national recruiting base. That basically erased that narrative. Caleb Williams isn’t some “California surfer kid” (a la Leinart, Barkley, Rob Johnson). He is an Oklahoma transfer from Washington DC.
 

The arguments you’ve made to this point were MAYBE relevant 20 years ago but the game has changed. The schemes have changed. The college game now influences and dictates the pro game, not the other way around. The spread and RPOs have all moved to the NFL game. There has been a consolidation of talent at the college level with national recruiting. I’m an Ohio State fan. Their starting offense right now by state:

QB - PA

RB - VA

WR - PA

WR- WA

WR - PA

TE - OH

LT - CA

LG - TX

C - WI

RG - NY

RT - IN

 

This is why the narrative of “_____ school doesn’t produce ____ positions” is dead. The best players now go to the best fit, not the closest big school to home. USC starts 1 skill player on offense from California (an elite football state). The “history” of a school with a certain position has never been less relevant. NIL will continue to make this even more of a reality. 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Kirby Jackson

[Mr. WEO]

14 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

But he didn’t start his career at USC. He came over with his coach. 

 

I included that.  He was a Freshman at Oklahoma.

 

His resume is thin.