Caleb Williams Came Close to Joining UCLA

UCLA was close to landing Caleb Williams when he hit the transfer portal after his freshman season.

Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) scrambles during the third quarter against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Former Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, was one of the best quarterbacks to come out of college football in the last few years.

The two-year Trojan had followed Lincoln Riley to the program after spending his freshman season with Oklahoma.

While recently appearing on Detroit Lions All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown's podcast, "The St. Brown Podcast," Williams revealed he had considered transferring to UCLA upon Riley's departure from Oklahoma.

"When all of that went down, I was more angry at him [Riley]," Williams said. "So, at first, I was going to go to UCLA just to play against him. ... I went on a whole UCLA visit; I went on a couple of other visits, too. UCLA, LSU, things like that. But it really came down to USC and UCLA just because I wanted to beat him just because he left.

"And then we sat down, had a talk, had a couple of FaceTime talks, and then, from there, I was like, 'Yeah, it's all right, I'm going to forgive you, and we can make this work and make s--- happen.'"

Williams and Riley would go 11-3 in their first season with USC, which included a win over Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. They would take a significant step backward the following year, however, going 8-5 with a win over Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.

Williams had a decent rookie season with the Bears, throwing for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 489 yards. As a team, Chicago struggled, finishing the year with just five wins. It also fired its former coach, Matt Eberflus, midway through the year and winning just one game the rest of the way.

It's got to sting for Bruins fans that they came so close to landing a talent like Williams, one who could have gotten the program over the hump at the end of the Chip Kelly era.

Instead, Williams would become UCLA's enemy. The Bruins did get the last laugh, as they defeated Williams and the Trojans in his final collegiate game in 2023.

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