Caleb Williams transferred from Oklahoma to USC, following Lincoln Riley after his freshman college season. So he knows all about change.
Still, it wasn’t easy to see offensive coordinator and play-caller Shane Waldron fired on Nov. 12 and head coach Matt Eberflus let go three weeks later.
“The human aspect of it weighs on you a little bit, especially since this is my first year, this is my first head coach to draft me,” Williams said Wednesday, via Scott Bair of marqueesportsnetwork.com. “So there’s a human side to it, and then the business side has to step in and say, ‘I understand.’ I can’t really control it, but I have to roll with the punches and understand it and move on and try to help this team win the best way I can.
Williams has adopted a “carry on” mantra, choosing to view the changes as a learning opportunity because they are out of his control.
“I think this is a springboard for development, to be able to have all of this in my freshman year,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t say I’m happy with it. Having these moments is definitely something that will help me in the future. Having situational moments that are difficult to replicate in practice, having some of these moments, having your coach fired or coaches fired and people getting promoted. You know, things like that all happen within a few weeks of each other. I think it would help me in the long run if I can handle all this, handle this first year and grow from it.
“In the future, I’ll have different OCs or different head coaches or whatever. And so I can handle it my first year, dealing with a new playbook, dealing with all these different changes, handling all of this, I think. certainly help development instead of harming it or something like that.”
It’s been an up-and-down season for the No. 1 overall pick, who won’t win Offensive Rookie of the Year with a 4-8 record, 2,612 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
