5.12.2022, 10:52
Just when it seemed that news surrounding coaches and players finding new homes was cooling down, the college football landscape was stirred up again in a big way Monday.Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams announced on Twitterthat he was putting his name in the transfer portal following an impre sive freshman season that saw him replace Spencer Rattler as the team's starter mid-year. Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) "Words can't describe the amount of love I have for my teammates, coaches and the Sooner Nation . . . As you all know, the sudden changes this seasons sent shockwaves through Sooner Nation and were really hard for our whole team," Williams said in Carlos Carrasco Jersey his statement. "I came to Oklahoma with a gameplan, but with all the recent changes, I need to figure out what the right plan is for me moving forward."BENDER: Among those sudden changes were the departures of head coach Lincoln Riley to USC and several prized recruits who had committed to,or were interested in, Oklahoma. Riley was a believer in Williams, as well.Rattler has since transferred to South Carolina, while former No. 1 receiver commit Jadon Haselwood committed to Arkansas.MORE: Williams saw his first meaningful action last Larry Doby Jersey October in the Red River Rivalry game with Texas. He came in for Rattler, whom Riley had benched. Williams went 16 of 25 for 212 yards and two touchdowns pa sing while adding 88 yards and a touchdown rushing. Oklahoma came back from down 28-7 to win 55-48.Sporting News takes a look at why the freshman phenom could be leaving Norman.Why did Caleb Williams enter the portal?Williams and his father, Carl, provided insight into why the quarterback put his name in the portal. Neither one explicitly outlined any problems Williams had with Oklahoma, nor did they criticize incoming coach Brent Venables, the former OU and Clemson defensive coordinator.Both were clear, though, that the decision has everything to do with the younger Williams' future."(T)he only way I can speak with other schools and see who may offer the best preparation and development for my future career is by entering the portal," Caleb Williams said.MORE:He already has sights set on the NFL, according to his father, who told Yahoo's Pete Thamel that factored into the decision.Carl Williams: Profe sional development. We want Caleb to be ready to play when he becomes a pro. You go to college to get prepared for your career. His chosen career path is profe sional football. We want him to be prepared for when that time comes. Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) Of note, Williams said that a return to Norman is on the table. He will "take a few days off to decompre s Zach Duke Jersey " following Oklahoma's 47-32 win over Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.MORE: Venables and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione put out a statement Monday laying out why they believe the Sooners provide the best fit for Williams.Statement from Joe Castiglione and Brent Venables on todays announcement by Caleb Williams: Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football Trevor Bauer Jersey ) Where is Caleb Williams from?Williams is from the football-rich DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) and played his high school football in Washington, D.C., where he was a standout at Gonzaga College High School. He showed off , throwing for 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior and rushing for 838 yards and 18 scores. He helped lead Gonzaga to its first state championship since 2002.MORE: Williams was ranked as the No. 2 quarterback and No. 7 player nationally by in the Cla s of 2021. He chose Oklahoma over LSU, Maryland, Clemson and others.He was also the No. 1-ranked player in D.C. and came to Oklahoma nationally.Caleb Williams statsThe highly toutedWilliams entered a crowded quarterback room led by a former Heisman front-runner in Rattler. Rattler started, but often underwhelmed, before ceding his spot to Williams in the Red River Rivalry after committing two turnovers.Williams excelled after that as a pure pa ser and a dual-threat QB. He threw six touchdown pa seswith no interceptions against Texas Tech and completed over 70 percent of his pa ses four times.MORE: Overall, Williams completed 137 of 212 pa ses (64.6 percent) for 1,916 yards and 21 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He added 442 yards and six touchdowns on the B.J. Upton Jersey ground in 11 games.Rattler played in nine games and went 140-for-187 pa sing (74.9 percent) for 1,483 yards and 11 touchdowns to five interceptions, plus77 yards and three scores as a rusher.