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On Monday, Jan. 15, the deadline for college football players to declare for the NFL Draft, Caleb Williams finally announced his plan to go pro next season. Williams is the most-praised QB to enter the NFL Draft since Joe Burrow in 2020, and sportsbooks have already released betting props for the USC Trojan’s next landing spot.

Caleb Williams’ odds to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft (-900 or better)

Williams is leading this NFL Draft prop betting market by a mile, with Drake Maye holding the second-best odds at +450, though that number varies across the sports betting industry. You can pick Williams to go first overall or the field at +550 at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The 22-year-old began his collegiate career under head coach Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma in 2021. Williams didn’t start the first five games of the season but relieved Spencer Rattler in the Red River rivalry vs. Texas, the most important matchup on the Sooners’ schedule.

Williams inherited a 35-17 deficit late in the second quarter, and 212 passing yards, 88 rushing yards, and three touchdowns later, Oklahoma earned a triumphant 55-48 comeback victory. Caleb never relinquished the starting job, and Oklahoma finished the year with an 11-2 record.

When Riley left Oklahoma to become USC’s head coach, Williams followed and took Los Angeles by storm, winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy. In three seasons, the Washington, D.C. native amassed 10,082 yards, 93 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He can also scramble with the best of them, rushing for 966 yards and 27 touchdowns, but isn’t overly reliant on his legs.

After nearly making the College Football Playoff in 2022, USC had a surprisingly bad 2023 campaign. The Trojans went 7-5 in the regular season and dropped five of its final six games.

Williams’ draft stock shouldn’t be impacted by the team’s underwhelming season, as he wasn’t the reason for USC’s shortcomings. The Trojans had one of the top offenses in the nation, while the defense was among the worst.

If you rewind the tape and watch the former five-star recruit’s highlights, you’ll quickly learn why he’s such a prized prospect. Williams’ arm talent is out of this world, and he can deliver every possible throw with pinpoint accuracy. His ability to sense pressure, evade the rush, and pass on the move is second to none.

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Caleb Williams’ odds to be the first QB selected in the NFL Draft (-800 or better)

DraftKings Sportsbook’s QB specials market lists Williams as the runaway favorite, followed by:

• Drake Maye: +425
• Jayden Daniels: +1000
• Michael Penix Jr.: +4000
• Bo Nix: +7500
• J.J. McCarthy: +10000

The Panthers traded away its 2024 first-round pick and other assets to the Bears in exchange for Bryce Young, and Carolina’s league-worst 2-15 record allows Chicago to grab Williams. However, Justin Fields showed some progression toward the end of the year, and there’s a chance that Bears general manager Ryan Poles opts to, once again, trade the first overall pick in exchange for an unbelievable haul.

Regardless of what Poles decides to do with the No. 1 selection, a team hoping to acquire the pick would likely do so to land Williams.

Maye appears to be the only threat to hear his name called before Williams. Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels had far better seasons statistically than Maye, but considering they’re 23 years old and spent far more time in college, Maye should have the most room for growth.

The North Carolina Tar Heel was the third-stringer in 2021 and took control of the offense in the past two seasons. Maye ended his career with 8,018 yards, 63 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He also ran for 1,209 yards and 16 scores.

No matter who goes first, Williams and Maye will need some refining in the NFL. But with Williams attempting 147 more passes than Maye and throwing two fewer interceptions, don’t expect Caleb to take a backseat on draft night.

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