For the first time since 2005, the USC Trojans have a Heisman trophy winner. Quarterback Caleb Williams took home the trophy during a ceremony at the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Appel Room in New York City on Saturday night.
Williams received 544 first-place votes to take home the 2022 Heisman Trophy Award. He won all six regions and finished with 2,031 points. TCU's Max Duggan finished second with 188 first-place votes and 1,420 points. Ohio State's C.J. Stroud finished third with 37 first-place votes, and Georgia's Stetson Bennett finished fourth with 36. All four finalists were quarterbacks.
Williams was named on 88.57% of Heisman ballots, Duggan on 78.51%, Stroud on 39.54% and Bennett on 24.23%.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Williams becomes the eighth player to win the Heisman Trophy for the Trojans, and just the third quarterback to win the coveted prize. Carson Palmer who won the award in 2002, and Matt Leinart in 2004, are the other two USC QBs to win the Heisman trophy.
Williams now enters into the pantheon of other Trojan greats who have earned the award before him: Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Palmer (2002), Leinart (2004), and Reggie Bush (2005, later vacated).
USC now has more Heisman Trophy Award winners than any other university, breaking a three-way with Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma who each had seven entering Saturday.
Williams was the gasoline that fueled the Trojans turnaround in 2022. After the Trojans finished 4-8 in 2021, former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley made the move from Norman to Hollywood, and made sure his star quarterback came with him.
With Williams at the helm on offense, the Trojans went 11-2 in 2022 and were in line for their first ever College Football Playoff appearance in school history before Williams injured his hamstring during the first quarter of the Pac 12 Championship game against Utah. Leading 17-3, the Trojans were outscored 44-7 following the injury and went on to lose the game 47-24.
The seven-win increase from 2021 to 2022 tied the biggest one-season turnaround in USC history. The 1962 USC Trojans went on to win the National Championship after winning just four games the year prior.
During his 13 games with USC, Williams built a highlight reel of impressive plays dazzling the country with his mobility, arm strength, and accuracy. Williams went 296-for-448 (66 percent completion) for 4,075 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also rushed for 372 yards and ten touchdowns. In total, he accounted for 4,447 yards of offense and 47 total touchdowns, the most in school history. The previous record was 41 set by both Matt Barkley (2011) and Cody Kessler (2014).
In addition to shattering the school record for total touchdowns, Williams also broke the single-season record for total offensive yards, passing Sam Darnold's 4,225 set in 2017. Williams 372 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns are also the most in USC history
Williams Heisman Trophy win should come as no surprise to many who follow college football. Last season's winner, Alabama QB Bryce Young, and fellow finalist C.J. Stroud were the early favorites for the award, but Williams began to rise up the ranks as the season went along. Following dominant offensive performances against UCLA and Notre Dame to end the regular season, Williams separated himself from the pack and became the overwhelming favorite.
Williams finished first in the nation in passing touchdowns (37), points responsible per game (21.7), and points responsible overall (282). He finished third in the nation in passing yards (4,075), sixth in passing efficiency (167.9), passing yards per game (313.5), and total offense (342.1).
Williams' efforts helped catapult USC back to the top of the Pac 12 Conference and as one of the best teams in the country. USC finished third in the nation in passing efficiency (168.69) and best in the Pac 12. USC also led the Pac 12 in passing yards per completion (13.75), third-down conversion percentage (.516), and scoring offense (41.1).
The Heisman Trophy was not the only hardware Williams took home this week. In addition to being named to the All-Pac 12 first team, Williams also was named the Pac 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the AP College Football Player of the Year, the Walter Camp Award winner, and the Maxwell Award winner for the nation's best quarterback.
No. 10 USC will play in the Cotton Bowl against No. 16 Tulane at AT&T Stadium on January 2nd, 2023.
