USC's Caleb Williams: 'Game-Time Decision' on Declaring for 2024 NFL Draft

USC star quarterback Caleb Williams is in the running to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but it sounds like it's not guaranteed that he's ready to turn pro.

Williams told Ryan Kartje of the L.A. Times (h/t Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk) that it's still a "game-time decision" on whether or not he will declare for the draft by the Jan. 15 deadline.

Williams' comments somewhat echo those of his father, Carl, who said in September that his son might return to USC "if there's not a good situation" available to him in the NFL. However, Kartje noted that "no one around Williams seems to consider returning to USC for a third year a likely outcome any longer."

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has one more year of eligibility, and it sounds like he's considering using it to make up for a disappointing 2023 campaign that saw the Trojans finish with a 7-5 record. Williams still performed at an incredibly high level, completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 3,633 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions while also adding 11 rushing scores.

Despite his individual brilliance this year, Williams admitted that this season has taken a bit of a toll on him.

"I've never been in this situation, where I'm 7-5 and there are no playoff hopes at the end of the season," Williams said. "I'm dealing with it emotionally, dealing with it spiritually and physically. It's been one of the most important years I think I've had. It's tricky."

Williams made waves when he was seen crying in his mother's arms following USC's loss to Washington on Nov. 4. Still, he's not concerned with how that might affect his perception at the next level.

"There's a time and a place for everything," Williams said. "But I'm far from ashamed about showing my emotion after any of the losses this year. It shows truth. It shows care. All that. I'm getting better at it, showing it in the right place and the right time. But if I won a national championship or a Super Bowl years down the line—if I was winning, nobody would be saying anything."