Caleb Williams, the nation’s best quarterback in the recruiting class of 2021, will announce his engagement decision at 9 p.m. EDT Saturday live CBS Sports HQ. Gonzaga’s prominent in Washington (DC) will choose among the last three from LSU, Maryland and Oklahoma, in alphabetical order.
The Sooners lead the 247Sports Crystal Ball entering Williams’ 6-foot-2-inch, 209-pound pledge. That includes high-confidence forecasts from the top three experts: 247 Sports Director of Soccer Recruitment Steve Wiltfong, East Region Recruitment Analyst Brian Dohn and Brandon Drumm of OUInsider.com.
The industry-generated 247Sports Composite ranks Williams as a five-star recruit who ranks No. 4 overall in the nation’s recruiting class in 2021. He is the nation’s highest-ranking quarterback. The Top247 rankings view Williams similarly: a five-star prospect ranked seventh in the 2021 cycle and atop the quarterback crop. Williams competed last week in the Elite 11 finals in Nashville, Tennessee, and earned a spot in the All-American Bowl in January.
In addition to Oklahoma, LSU and Maryland, Williams has reported about 20 more offers from across the country. That list of schools includes Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and USC, among others.
As a junior in 2019, Williams threw for over 2,600 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading Gonzaga to an 8-3 record at the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Williams is a strong tester in an environment combined with a verified 4.57-second, 40-yard dash, 4.12-second shuttle, and 36.3-inch vertical, all of which were recorded in May 2019 at the end of his sophomore year.
247 Charles Power compares Williams to Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson. Here is 247Sports’ full scouting report on Williams and what he will bring to the college of his choice:
“He has a developed and thick build. Tested as a top athlete before his junior season with strong marks across the board, including a second time under 4.6 on the 40-yard dash. Combine that athletics with one of the more arms strong in Cycle 2021. He is highly creative with the ability to make difficult individual plays in off-screen situations. He has unique arm prowess and can execute shots from multiple platforms. He is as comfortable to throw on the move as in the pocket and does not need configure your feet to throw a well-thrown ball. Extremely difficult for defenders to corner both in your pocket and on the open field. Runs with a natural body tilt and glides off the tackle at high speed. Has the ability to get away from defenders once on the outfield. Offers versatility from experienced schemes playing under center, but ability to be a player. powerful dor in an uptempo, extended offense. Battle-tested against tough competition. He is the most talented quarterback prospect coming from the Mid-Atlantic region in a decade. It lacks the raw production and efficiency typical of most of the best Type 10 quarterbacks thus far. He projects himself as a multi-year impact initiator at the Power Five level with the advantage of the first round, if not the top 10 pick in the NFL Draft. “
