Caleb Williams: All on the Line
Caleb Williams is the top quarterback prospect in the 2021 class with scholarship offers from top programs coast to coast. He has agreed to give Sports Illustrated exclusive access into his world by chronicling everything from his experience as a high profile recruit to his home life and preparation for his senior season. This is 'All on the Line.'
What's Up?
Back for Week 3 of the blog! This week we'll talk about working out, even with this coronavirus changing everything, and my recent work out with Dwayne Haskins.
Starting off, I hope everybody is healthy and all is well.
I have 30 days off because of this virus and instead of thinking of it as a negative I can think of it as a positive and I'm able to work on myself more, football wise, mentally and physically.
I most recently had a workout with Dwayne Haskins, he plays for the Redskins. It was a pretty cool experience working out with him. Seeing some of the throws, him telling me things on when I'd make a throw that wasn't really how I wanted it, watching him throwing and me being able to do the same thing -- all the training I've done has helped me for most of those throws that I've made.
Caleb Williams working out with Washington Redskins quarterback Dwyane Haskins
IG:@imvar
I've done it more than 1,000 times. The footwork, the type of throw, so that's all helped.
All on the Line - Week 1 - An Introduction to Caleb Williams
Going back into the past, I've had the opportunity to go to a lot of camps and work with NFL quarterbacks. Like Peyton Manning's camp, I went to a camp at William & Mary and saw Andrew Luck, I went to the Russell Wilson camp and worked out. Going through that over the years, working out with those three guys at a camp and then coming to now, working out with the future, possibly, is a pretty cool experience. I'm pretty lucky to have that.
This one wasn't a get together or a camp, it was to come to work out. We're not coming here to sit there and have a brunch and throw a little bit. We're there to work. He invited me to work out and I gladly accepted that to obviously try to see where I am physically but to also compared to him when we're out there throwing.
I feel like I stacked up pretty well. Overall, from the three-hour workout, I think I missed four passes. He missed one. So I'm working on my accuracy so I can lower it and have zero. But I think I stacked up pretty well. I think I did pretty well if I had to challenge to go against him or anybody.
I did well. I always feel like the top dog wherever I go.
I've always had that one confidence piece. Being confident, not cocky, has always been in my game. It's something in me. Obviously it's the work I put in because I feel like if you're prepared, you should be confident.
It comes from the work.
A younger Caleb Williams works out with Russell Wilson (left) and Andrew Luck (right)
Courtesy of Caleb Williams
It feels great when a professional pulls you out of a camp, kind of deeming you the top guy or helping you out in a way feels good. But it comes from the work. It gives you more confidence over time. The work, competing with people older than me, it's all brought that confidence out.
Say if it's a game day, then it comes from the mental and physical work throughout the week. Being confident, going to these camps and things, it's the work we put in every offseason.
[Related: NCAA issues dead period due to COVID-19]
Everyone's panicking but we're cool, calm and collected over here. I've got a full four weeks to drill down on the little things that impact my game, keeping my teammates together using technology - since we can't meet - and to prepare mentally for what's ahead.
We've never been in this territory, being out of school and the NCAA and everybody suspending leagues and other things like that. It's new but I still communicate with college coaches. It's not like a dead period where they can't communicate with me. It's just a dead period where I can't go and visit. I'm still communicating with coaches daily, as much as possible.
All on the Line - Week 2 - Looking Back at the Oklahoma Visit and More
It's the same stuff from them. The calls, on the phone or Facetiming, or texting. I get a few letters, school graphic edits and things like that.
Other than that, I'll work and rest. Footwork, working out and getting better mentally. I'm reading this book about split coverages. A split coverage is two different coverages on the field. You can have one side in Cover-4 and the other side is in Cover-2, so it's Cover-6. I'm reading a book on that called split coverages that my quarterback coach at Gonzaga gave to me.
We watch tape every week, still. Since we're out of school because of the coronavirus my coach and I talk about film every day. We're going to talk and communicate over text and call each other and talk about film and life.
This is a sudden change but you can only control what you can control. I can't do much about it, it's not my decision. I'm just gonna do what I can and coaches are gonna do what they can and we'll keep progressing.
Signing off for this week. Don't sit still because I'm working.
Everybody stay healthy!
Twitter: @CALEBcsw
Instagram: ayeeecaleb