NFL scouts flock to USC vs. Washington game to evaluate QBs Caleb Williams and Michael Penix

Williams and Penix Jr. capped off another Heisman worthy performance amidst a hoard of NFL scouts.

NFL scouts flock to USC vs. Washington game to evaluate QBs Caleb Williams and Michael Penix

USC Trojans' Caleb Williams and Washington Huskies' Michael Penix Jr. (Image via IMAGO)

The No. 24 USC Trojans lost 42-52 against the No. 5 Washington Huskies in a high-voltage game that saw an influx of NFL scouts attend to witness arguably the two best quarterback prospects in college football this season, Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams. Both of them showed up, but at the end of the day, there could have been only one winner.

While USC dominated through the air, the Huskies were more dominant on the ground. It’s a stark contrast, but it’s one aspect of the opposition that Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley would have been dreading prior to the game.

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Despite boasting 7 wins in 9 games, the two games in which they were outplayed were due to the run game. Even in the other games that went the distance time and time again, the USC offense came to the rescue of a leaky defense.

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But all of these were secondary, as the NFL scouts were there to watch how Williams and Penix Jr. would perform. ESPN’s college football expert, Pete Thamel, revealed that 21 NFL scouts, including New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and Denver Broncos Geroge Paton, were present at the Coliseum.

Caleb Williams’ performance was overshadowed by a bad USC Trojans defense

The Trojans were playing without Pac-12 rushing leader Marshawn Lloyd due to an undisclosed injury. It hurt the run game on the ground, so they had to rely on Caleb Williams to find the receivers. The 21-year-old was efficient in his dispatches, connecting with Tajh Washington, Brendan Rice, and Mario Williams, who each scored a touchdown.

NFL scouts flock to USC vs. Washington game to evaluate QBs Caleb Williams and Michael Penix usc trojans football
Trojans Caleb Williams during the Washington Huskies game (Image via Los Angeles Times)

That doesn’t mean USC’s were completely lacking in the rushing department. Austin Jones, Darwin Barlow, Raleek Brown, and Williams combined for more than 200 yards. However, Washington’s Dillon Johnson alone gained 256 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown to make it four endzone runs on the night.

This shows how much Michael Penix Jr. relied on Johnson to tear through the Trojans’ defense. Incidentally, this was the fifth time USC has conceded 40 or more points in a game this season. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t pass the ball, but rather the opposite.

It’s one of his innate abilities to find receivers with pinpoint accuracy. He finished with 22 from 30 for 256 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and 1 rushing touchdown.

Next, they will face the 6th-ranked Oregon State Ducks, who destroyed the California Golden Bears last night. After that, they will line up for the final time at the Coliseum to face cross-town rivals, the UCLA Bruins, ranked 20th.

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