Is Caleb Williams playing in the Holiday Bowl? USC QB's availability for bowl game explored

Considering the latest development, Caleb Williams might have played his last game for USC and his college career. Trojans coach Lincoln Riley announced Monday that the star quarterback will be absent from the lineup in the upcoming Holiday Bowl against Louisville.

In the contemporary landscape of college football, it has become commonplace for high-level NFL draft prospects to opt out of bowl games. However, he is just the third quarterback to do so since 2016, after Florida's Anthony Richardson and Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett.

With the absence of Williams, the Cardinals are set to reap substantial benefits from the recent trend of players opting out of bowl games. Following a disappointing season for the Trojans, which ended with a 7-5 record, Louisville has the upper hand against them, with Williams sitting out of the bowl game.

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Could Caleb Williams return to college football?

Even though Caleb Williams is widely considered the consensus first-overall pick in the upcoming draft, there is a possibility that he might return to college football. The quarterback is cautious about his professional career and is determined to make the right decision.

In early September, Caleb's father, Carl Williams, expressed the possibility that his son might choose not to enter the 2024 NFL draft if the prospective team isn't deemed suitable. He highlighted concerns about the draft system, noting that the first overall pick often goes to the worst-performing team.

"The funky thing about the NFL draft process is, he'd almost be better off not being drafted than being drafted first," Carl said.

"The system is completely backward. The way the system is constructed, you go to the worst possible situation. The worst possible team, the worst organization in the league—because of their desire for parity—gets the first pick.”

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Has USC’s disappointing season affected Caleb Williams' draft standing?

While there’s a chance for Caleb Williams to return to college football in 2024, it's more likely that the quarterback will transition into the professional stage and enter the upcoming 2024 NFL draft. He has been widely considered the first overall pick of the selection event.

However, there's been a host of concerns that quarterback draft standing might have been affected by USC's disappointing outing this season. This is not totally true, considering Williams has been in superb form this season despite the Trojans' struggles.

He ended the season with 3,633 passing yards and 30 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He has an impressive 68.6% pass completion and was only sacked five times.