At Long Last, Caleb Williams Commits to Oklahoma
Though most of Independence Day passed without incident, Caleb Williams made sure Sooner Nation wouldn't sleep without major fireworks.
On Saturday night, the 5-star 2021 quarterback finally made his long-awaited collegiate decision, choosing Oklahoma over LSU and Maryland and ending months of widespread speculation.
Lincoln Riley had recruited Williams with vigor since early January, when the Sooners lost a long-standing commitment from Brock Vandagriff. In March, Williams cut his list of schools to five, and winnowed his recruitment down to a final three in early May.
Though Oklahoma had long been the favorite to land Williams, nothing ever seemed set in stone. LSU hadn't backed off their pursuit of the Washington, D.C. native, even after scoring their presumed quarterback of the future in Garrett Nussmeier. And Maryland had been wooing Williams since 2017, when he was just an eighth-grader and hadn't yet taken a varsity snap for Gonzaga High.
"I honestly felt like that was the best place for me overall," Williams said during an interview on CBS HQ after his announcement. "I want to just try to learn, and try to get to the next level."
When the interview finished, Williams flashed an emphatic "Horns Down" hand gesture.
Williams' commitment redeems what had largely been a quiet Fourth of July on the recruiting trail for the Sooners. Earlier in the day, OU had lost out on a pair of 4-star wideouts, as J.Michael Sturdivant committed to Cal and Keon Coleman chose Kansas. However, Oklahoma did pick up a commitment from four-star DB Latrell McCutchin.
But Williams is the unquestioned prize of this 2021 class, and his wondrous right arm and elite athleticism could be nearly indefensible in Lincoln Riley's offense. He's thrilled to arrive and get to work in the crimson and cream.
"First I want to achieve the trust of my teammates, and then hopefully get to the playoffs and win national championships," said Williams.
Despite a somewhat shaky showing at the Elite11 finals earlier this week, he still claimed the event's MVP crown, wowing onlookers with his clean release and uncanny arm strength.
It's now the third consecutive year that Oklahoma has landed an Elite11 finalist, as current Sooners Spencer Rattler and Chandler Morris also participated in the prestigious showcase as high school seniors. And like Williams, Rattler won MVP honors when he competed back in 2018.
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Williams would be the third highest-rated signee in Sooner history should he remain true to his verbal pledge. Only Adrian Peterson and Rhett Bomar outrank him. Williams is also widely expected to be the No. 1 overall recruit in SI All-American's upcoming Top 100 Prospects.
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