Caleb Williams Shows Sympathy For #WeWantToPlay Movement In Monday Blog
The masterminds behind the #WeWantToPlay movement aren't about to let the ship sail on the 2020 college football season.
As Trevor Lawrence, Spencer Rattler, Chuba Hubbard and others make their voices heard through the growing social media campaign, they've got the support of one Caleb Williams.
In his latest 'All on the Line' blog via SI All-American, Williams discussed the negative impact of season cancellations, and conjectured that some players may have a better situation on campus than off.
"I saw a thing on Twitter," Williams wrote. "I think the player goes to Florida, and he was like, 'there is nothing good for me back home.' That kind of hit hard because there's people that come from tough places in their home town and them being away, them being in college with the life they're living in college — it very well could be their best time, their best place, a happy place where they're away from all of the drama.
"They can be in a very bad spot at home and being at a college is their peace, their happiness. But why can't the kids just stay on campus and keep training if they can't play?"
Williams' own senior season at Gonzaga College High School has been postponed to the spring, leaving his plans very much in limbo. The 5-star recruit had previously floated the idea of enrolling early at Oklahoma, but it's unclear how the schedule shift — and Gonzaga policy — will affect those plans.
One way or another, Williams is doing his best to maintain an optimistic outlook.
"You try to think of the positives, you know?" Williams continued. "We're going to get through it. We're going to have a season. Try to be as safe as we can, but you don't really know. Us as players don't really control it, the coaches don't control if we're going to have a season or not, the higher ups do as they follow the impact of COVID-19."
However, it's become evident over the last 12 hours that the players have a good amount of sway. The #WeWantToPlay campaign has gained plenty of steam over the course of a single night night, and has earned the support of politicians like President Donald Trump, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and coaches like Jim Harbaugh.
With the entire landscape of college football mired in a tempest, Williams isn't as focused on recruiting this week. However, he did offer a glimpse into the Sooner Summit, which he had previously teased on social media.
"The Sooner Summit thing, it's about getting out there to Norman with a couple of other guys, other recruits, that haven't seen the campus," he wrote. "Guys I would love having on the same team as me so we can achieve those goals we all aspire to reach."
Williams stated that because of the NCAA's recruiting dead period, Oklahoma's coaching staff won't be involved with the Summit at all.
"I texted a bunch of recruits that I was really close with about getting them out there, having a good time and just being loose," he went on. "Normally visits are more tight, more on a schedule type of thing. It's not really what it's gonna be, it's gonna be the families that said they would like to come and my dad, my mom and me. Just enjoying each other's company, going around the campus and kind of getting the vibe with other guys and hopefully that's the place they choose to come ball out."
Williams is actively engaged in recruiting several top-flight 2021 prospects to Norman, including wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, offensive tackle Tristan Leigh and defensive end Kelvin Gilliam. However, it's unclear who will participate in the Sooner Summit, and Williams hasn't mentioned any names to that effect.
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