Big Ten Team Emerging As 'Serious Contender' To Land Top Transfer Portal QB Caleb Williams
When Oklahoma freshman quarterback Caleb Williams entered his name into the transfer portal in early January, he seemed bookmarked for a move out west to USC.
A move to follow Lincoln Riley, who left Oklahoma to become the Trojans' head coach in December. Shortly thereafter, LSU, under new leadership in head coach Brian Kelly, entered the chat. It appeared to be a two-way race for Williams' services, the No. 1 player in the portal, per 247Sports.
Not so fast, as a new contender has emerged: Wisconsin.
Gerry Hamilton of On3Sports reports that the Badgers have emerged as a serious contender to sign Williams, with USC and LSU still in the running. Williams' freshman campaign ended with him throwing for 1,912 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions on 64.5% passing.
A move to Wisconsin would come as a shock, given the school's recent history of developing quarterbacks, or lack thereof. A resident placeholder among the top defenses in college football, it's been since the days of Russell Wilson that the Badgers have had a true game changer at the quarterback position.
Williams would be that -- and more for Wisconsin and head coach Paul Chryst, who went 9-4 in his 7th season as head coach in 2021. All signs point to USC as the favorite still, with 247Sports dropping a crystal ball for Williams to become a Trojan.
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