2022 Heisman Trophy Winner Caleb Williams
The 2022 Heisman Trophy Ceremony was held on December 10, 2022 in New York City, New York. This was the eighty-seventh year that the Downtown Athletic Club, the governing body of the Heisman Trust, has awarded the trophy which goes to the most outstanding player in college football for the season. The Downtown Athletic Club invited four athletes to the ceremony- Max Duggan, CJ Stroud, Stetson Bennett IV, and Winner Caleb Williams. [1]
The 2021 Heisman Trophy Winner, Bryce Young, had returned for his Junior season at Alabama, but after missing playing time due to an injury, he was not invited back for a chance to repeat as the Heisman Winner. This is a normal trend, since its inception, there has been only one repeat Heisman Trophy Winner, Archie Griffin running back at Ohio State; winning the award for the 1974 and 1975 college football seasons.
2022 Heisman Trophy Winner- Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams played Quarterback for the University of Southern California (USC) for the 2022 and 2023 seasons after transferring from Oklahoma where he played his freshman season in 2021. Caleb Williams followed his Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley to USC when he took the position at the completion of the 2021 season. [2]
Caleb Williams entered the 2022 college football season as the undisputed starter for the USC Trojans. In his stellar Sophomore season, Williams completed 333 of 500 passes (66.6%) for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. Williams also added 113 rushing attempts totaling 382 yards and another 10 touchdowns.
2022 Heisman 1st Place Voting Breakdown
- Caleb Williams- 544
- Max Duggan- 188
- CJ Stroud- 37
- Stetson Bennett IV- 36
2022 Heisman Trophy Winner Caleb Williams’ Season
The USC Trojans entered the year with many unknowns. The 2022 season was the first under new head coach, Lincoln Riley along with transfer quarterback, Caleb Williams. Despite all the questions, USC entered the season with six straight wins- Rice, Stanford, Fresno State, Oregon State, Arizona State, and Washington State. These first six wins made USC bowl eligible for the season, which was already two more wins than the entire 2021 season. After a heartbreaking 43-42 loss to Utah, USC would finish the regular season with five straight wins- Arizona, California, Colorado, UCLA, and Notre Dame. [3]
The post season would begin with USC playing in the Pac12 Championship Game in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium against Utah. USC entered the championship game ranked as the #4 team in the country, which a win would most likely place them in the College Football Playoffs. With everything on the line, and a chance to avenge the one blemish on the season, USC fell to Utah again, 47-24. After the loss, USC accepted an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas against Tulane which USC would ultimately lose 46-45.
Caleb Williams was USC’s 8th Heisman Trophy Winner. He joins an elite group of Trojans whose names are synonymous with college football excellence.
Other USC Heisman Trophy Winners List
- Mike Garrett- 1964
- O.J. Simpson- 1968
- Charles White- 1979
- Marcus Allen- 1981
- Carson Palmer- 2002
- Matt Leinart- 2004
- Reggie Bush- 2005
Along with becoming the 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner, Caleb Williams also won other major awards for the season. These awards include the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, AP College Football Player of the Year, Pac-12 Player of the Year, and Unanimous All-American.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner, Caleb Williams would return for his Junior season at USC and lead the Trojans to a 7-5 record. In the season, Williams completed 266 of 388 (68.6%) passes for 3,333 yards with 30 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Williams also had 97 rushing attempts for 142 yards and another 11 touchdowns. Williams would opt out of playing in the Holiday Bowl to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Like Bryce Young before him, the 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner, Caleb Williams would not be invited to the following season’s Heisman Ceremony.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner, Caleb Williams was widely considered to be a generational talent by many professional scouts, entered the 2024 NFL Draft forgoing his Senior season at USC. Caleb Williams would be selected first overall to the Chicago Bears. With the second overall pick, the Washington Commanders selected the 2023 Heisman Trophy Winner, Jayden Daniels.
Related-topics
References
- ESPN [ USC QB Caleb Williams Outraces Field Wins Heisman Trophy ] August 21, 2024
- Fox Sports [ Caleb Williams to USC Continues Oklahoma West Transformation ] August 21, 2024
- USC Trojans [ Caleb Williams Profile ] August 21, 2024
Contributors
Last Modified: August 22, 2024