College Coach Insists Caleb Williams Has Crucial Trait Justin Fields Lacked
There was never any doubt that Caleb Williams was a superior physical specimen as a quarterback. His arm strength, accuracy, mobility, and playmaking instincts made him a wizard in college football. This is why he won a Heisman and was one of the best quarterbacks in college football over three years. However, he wasn’t without critics. Many felt he suffered from the same issues that ended up plaguing Justin Fields when he got to the NFL: an inability to process the field quickly.
Absurd amounts of information bombard quarterbacks in the NFL. They must hear a play call, understand the responsibilities of their other ten teammates on the field, read the defensive formation before the snap, make adjustments at the line, take the snap, and read where the open man is going to be. This must all be done in less than 60 seconds. It isn’t an accident so many quarterbacks look overwhelmed at the NFL level. It was the problem that ultimately sank Fields. For all his athletic gifts, he always seemed a split-second late on everything. Some fear Williams suffers from the same problem because he tended to freelance too often last year. Tyler Dunne of Go Long spoke to USC passing game coordinator Dennis Simmons about it.
He was adamant that the narrative was completely off base., and had staked his reputation on it.
Competitive fire may not be the only element of Williams’ game hidden beneath that shiny veneer. The coach with him every day — USC’s Simmons — is confident this QB can read the defense and play on-schedule. There will be faster edge rushers, new terminology and new wrinkles, but beneath these wow plays Simmons argues that Williams can absolutely play within structure.
“He’ll do what he needs to do to help his team win,” Simmons says, “so if that means dink and dunk, he’s going to dink and dunk. If that means, ‘Hey, I have to use my legs to extend the play and create more time to find somebody open down the field,’ then that’s what he’s going to do.”
Simmons told NFL scouts the same exact thing when they passed through campus and this isn’t the cliché college coach masquerading as a hype man. Simmons describes himself as a straight-shooter who knows his “word carries weight.” Stretch the truth on any prospect, to any coach, and his future opinion won’t matter much. One scout who works this region of the country saw the same signs of processing. To him, this wasn’t a reckless Johnny Football, physically superior Vince Young, system-dependent RGIII or tunnel-visioned Fields. Williams is unique.
Simmons has enough experience to trust this Caleb Williams statement.
In his coaching career, he’s worked with some excellent quarterbacks. He was at Oklahoma when they went through Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. The man knows what good ones are supposed to look like. That he was willing to stake his reputation on Williams says a lot. Context is always crucial. Last season was a brutal one for USC. Their offensive line was a mess and their two best wide receivers were eventual 7th round picks. Williams improvised so often because he either had to run for his life or his targets weren’t getting open.
Conversely, the previous year, when both problems didn’t exist, there were far more examples of him staying in the pocket and making quick decisions. The trick for the Bears is working out a way to not force Caleb Williams to process things at such a high level right away. Keep things simple until he has a firm grasp of the offense and good chemistry with his receivers. Then you can start putting more on his plate. Those who followed him believe he can handle it all.