Caleb Williams did not have to wait long to hear his name called Thursday night, officially becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Chicago Bears stayed locked into the No. 1 overall pick and cleared a spot in the quarterback room this offseason by trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Fields did not work out, Chicago will likely plug and play Williams as a rookie with an improved roster ready to enter the 2024 season.

Williams was the top player on draft boards for over a year, dating back to the 2022 college football season and his Heisman Trophy win at USC. While the Trojans regressed as a team in 2023, the offense under Williams remained dynamic and one of the best in the country.

During the 2022 season, Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns, shattering Trojan records previously held by Sam Darnold and Matt Barkley, respectively. USC would fall just short of the College Football Playoff, but Williams rolled to a Heisman win with 52 total touchdowns.

The Trojans would slip further in 2023, posting an 8-5 overall record with a defense that was among the worst in the country. However, the offense still averaged 41.8 points per game with Williams shining with 41 overall touchdowns.

Historically, Williams is the sixth No. 1 overall pick all-time to come out of USC. He is the first Trojan to be selected with the top pick since Carson Palmer went No. 1 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003.

He’s also the third No. 1 overall pick that USC coach Lincoln Riley has produced, joining Baker Mayfield (2018) and Kyler Murray (2019).

In regard to his NFL outlook, Williams has been praised as one of the best quarterback prospects the game has seen since Patrick Mahomes. His ability to make plays outside of the pocket while improvising has wowed throughout his career.

Now, he will try to re-write Chicago’s track record when it comes to developing young QBs. If he can, the Bears will have the potential to be an NFL contender for the foreseeable future.