Caleb Williams decides to skip the Holiday Bowl as he shifts his focus exclusively towards the NFL Draft

USC QB Caleb Williams will not be playing in the upcoming DirecTV Holiday Bowl.

Caleb Williams decides to skip the Holiday Bowl as he shifts his focus exclusively towards the NFL Draft

Caleb Williams (Image via Imago)

Caleb Williams will not be starting for the USC Trojans in the upcoming DirecTV Holiday Bowl on the 27th of December. Head coach Lincoln Riley made it official on Monday that the Heisman awardee will sit the game out as he prepares to shift his entire focus towards the NFL Draft in 2024. USC will face Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.

This means that the quarterback is done playing football at the collegiate level and is now looking to the future, which is the NFL. From a business perspective, it makes sense for Caleb Williams to sit out of this game as USC is out of the college football playoffs and they have no shot at winning the national championship. All he would be doing by going out there is risking injury for absolutely no reward whatsoever.

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Caleb Williams is not the first draft prospect to sit out of a Bowl game as Kenny Pickett and Anthony Richardson did the same when they declared for the NFL Draft. The stakes have never been higher for Caleb Williams as he is expected to be the first pick in the Draft. He has decided to forego his senior year at USC and declare taking full advantage of the tremendous year he has had.

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Caleb Williams will begin prepping for the NFL Draft and avoid risking injury by sitting out of the Holiday Bowl

The quarterback threw for 3,633 yards this season and had 30 touchdowns. However, his team’s defense ultimately let him down as USC ended their year with a disappointing 7-5 record. The Heisman winner had his best year in the 2022-23 season when he managed to throw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns leading the Trojans to a stellar 11-1 record for the season.

Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams IMAGE: Los Angeles Times)

With Caleb Williams no longer being available to play in the Holiday Bowl, sophomore Miller Moss will get an opportunity to showcase his skills and earn his position. Moss has been at USC for three seasons having thrown for 500+ yards and 3 TDs. Lincoln Riley stated he expects his backup QB to “fully be in the mix” for the Trojans’ starter’s role next season.

Caleb Williams is unlikely to return to USC, however, his father had stated on previous occasions that if an NFL team that did not suit their preference got the first pick in the upcoming Draft, then there is a slim chance of him returning to college football for one more year.

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