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5-Star QB Caleb Williams Names Top 3 of LSU, Oklahoma, Maryland
May 4, 2020
Only three schools remain in the running for 5-star quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams announced Monday he's considering Oklahoma, LSU and Maryland:
"I really feel like those schools are the best schools for me overall, not just for football," he wrote in a piece for SI All-American. "I really feel like those schools can provide me the best opportunity academically and with my football career with the connections I've built with the coaches, the fans and the connection my parents and everybody has built with the coaches. The feel with all of those places, it just feels right."
The Washington, D.C., native is the No. 1 dual-threat QB and No. 6 player in the 247Sports' composite rankings for 2021.
The inclusions of LSU and Oklahoma aren't surprising.
The Tigers are the reigning national champions, and Joe Burrow parlayed his time in Baton Rouge to becoming the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Joe Brady is no longer the passing game coordinator, but the allure of the program is obvious.
The Sooners, meanwhile, enjoyed back-to-back Heisman winners with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray in 2017 and 2018, both of whom were No. 1 overall picks as well. Jalen Hurts then set career highs for passing yards (3,851) and touchdowns (32) in his one season with the team.
Head coach Lincoln Riley has quickly established a reputation for developing quarterbacks.
Maryland is the obvious outlier.
It looked like Mike Locksley was making an immediate impact in 2019 after the Terrapins upset No. 21 Syracuse to start 2-0. Then they dropped nine of their remaining 10 games to finish 3-9.
Locksley built a reputation as a strong recruiter, though, which was one reason Maryland tabbed him as the permanent replacement for D.J. Durkin.
Chase Young encapsulates the Terrapins' struggles to build a consistent contender. Rather than staying home, the Hyattsville, Maryland, native chose Ohio State.
Moral victories don't count for much on the recruiting trail. Locksley won't get any credit if Williams ends up choosing LSU or Oklahoma. Should he select the Terps, it would be a strong endorsement of Locksley's overall vision.