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Caleb Williams, last season's Heisman Trophy winner, won't play in the Holiday Bowl, according to reports on Monday.
USC (7-5) on Sunday accepted an invitation to play the 16th-ranked Louisville Cardinals (10-3) in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 in San Diego's Petco Park. This will be the first time in program history that the Trojans face the Cardinals. The postseason game will be aired on Fox.
The quarterback's decision to forgo his school bowl game is not unusual. Players who are considering declaring for the NFL draft tend to avoid non-high-stakes games to remain healthy and raise their stock with pro franchises.
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The internet reacted to the news, showing different feelings about the player not sticking with the Trojans until the end. Almost everyone agreed that Williams was looking to protect his draft prospects.
Some fans used sarcasm to cope with the fact that the Trojans season wasn't what you would call a success:
Some fans joked about his 2023 season not being all that it was hyped up to be in the fall.
Some fans lambasted Caleb Williams for not sticking with his teammates.
Fans were, well, not surprised by the decision.
Some people don't seem to like Williams and predicted he would be a bust in the NFL.
Some USC fans were saddened to have seen the last of the quarterback with a Trojans jersey.
Some fans don't even think he will be the No. 1 pick anymore.
Some fans reminded everyone he just doesn't perform against the best of the best, and that he wasn't as good as everyone thought.
Many think he'll declare for the draft.
Caleb Williams' 2023 season with the USC Trojans
Caleb Williams threw for 3,633 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2023. His QBR was 82.3, which ranked 11th among signal-callers nationwide. He completed 266 passes out of 388 attempts, for a completion percentage of 68.6%. He also ran for 136 yards and had 11 rushing touchdowns.
The player's biggest regret would have been never to have won a title with the Trojans, despite winning the highest individual accolade the game has to offer. In 2022, they lost the Pac-12 championship game to the Utah Utes and the Cotton Bowl to the Tulane Green Wave.
Caleb Williams' only bowl win came in 2021 when he won the Alamo Bowl with the Oklahoma Sooners in his breakthrough season.
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