Gonzaga’s Caleb Williams brings fireworks to Oklahoma with July 4 commitment
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BVM) — Though it may not have been the kind of fireworks Oklahoma University fans were expecting this Fourth of July, Caleb Williams definitely provided the fan base with a little extra excitement for their holiday weekend. At 9:54 p.m. on July 4, Williams, a rising senior quarterback for Gonzaga College High School, posted a video to his Twitter page declaring his decision to commit to Oklahoma’s football team over Louisiana State University and the University of Maryland, who rounded out the recruit’s final three. The No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the ESPN and Rivals.com recruiting rankings, Williams will look to maintain the current hot streak of strong quarterback play for the Sooners.
Committed… pic.twitter.com/nN1A6g2iWY
— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) July 5, 2020
Williams was one of the most desired players in the entire country, having received offers from a number of top-flight programs including Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon among many others. According to Rivals.com, the quarterback racked up 23 scholarship offers from Division I programs. Williams, the 15th overall prospect in the Class of 2021, was the highest-rated prospect to have not committed to a program before his decision.
For Williams, it was more about putting the work in on the football field than making a splash off of it. As one of the most sought after quarterbacks all the way back to his middle school days, Williams was quickly able to prove why he is considered among the nation’s best. As a sophomore, Williams was named first-team All-Met playing in the highly-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. In his junior year, he doubled down on the feat, earning first-team All-Met honors again after passing for 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 838 yards and 18 scores.
Considered one of the best prospects to ever come out of the Washington area and the even more rare District of Columbia, Williams will have a lot of support when he moves to his next step. That step should be made a little easier with Williams’ decision to go to Oklahoma. Lincoln Riley, OU’s head coach, is considered one of the top quarterback minds in all of college football, having led both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to back-to-back Heisman-winning seasons in 2017 and 2018 while also having Jalen Hurts make a push for the trophy last year.
However, Williams will not just be given the reins once he arrives on campus in Norman, Okla. Currently, Oklahoma’s quarterback room is filled with top-level talent, including Spencer Rattler, the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 class, and Chandler Morris, the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class.
Though the competition will be stiff, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Williams one day take his spot under center in the Sooners’ cream and crimson. Given his track record and success at Gonzaga, it wouldn’t surprise anybody if Oklahoma University has another star quarterback in the near future.
