USC Facing Serious Backlash for Huge Caleb Williams Decision

On Thursday, USC announced that it would retire former quarterback Caleb Williams' No. 13 jersey. The decision came as a surprise to many fans.

Williams played just two seasons for the Trojans after transferring from Oklahoma, where he initially committed to play under then-head coach Lincoln Riley. Williams followed Riley to USC when he became the Trojans' head coach.

In his two seasons at USC, Williams threw for 8,170 yards, 72 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 524 yards and added 21 touchdowns on the ground.

Williams' first season with the Trojans was by far his most memorable. He led USC to an 11-3 record—their first double-digit win season in five years—and a runner-up finish in the Pac-12. Williams also won the Heisman Trophy that year, becoming the first USC player to do so since Reggie Bush in 2005.

That same season, he set the single-season record for total offense with 4,919 yards and broke records for most combined rushing and passing touchdowns (52), passing completions (333), attempts (500), and passing yards (4,537). His 42 touchdown passes and a remarkably low interception rate of 1% (5 interceptions in 500 attempts) also set new standards. His passing efficiency rating of 168.5 is the highest in a single season for a Trojan.

While some on social media congratulated Williams on his jersey retirement, others were more skeptical.

"This must be an early April Fool's joke," one fan wrote .

Another questioned whether Williams truly deserved the honor, stating, "Don’t know if he's retire-number worthy…."

Williams, who will start for the Chicago Bears this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, has been away from the USC program for only a short time. The timing of his jersey retirement seemed premature to some, as another person commented , "He won a Heisman, but they were never elite, and he only played two seasons. And you retire it six months after he leaves??"

"Is this satire?" another person asked .

While it may seem unusual given Williams' short stint with the program and USC's 7-5 record in his final season, the decision aligns with USC's history of retiring jerseys. All previous Trojans players who have had their numbers retired also won the Heisman. Those players are Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Charles White, Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, and Marcus Allen.

Williams became the eighth Trojan to win the coveted Heisman Trophy in 2022. Although he never helped the program reach the championship heights that were anticipated, his place in USC lore is now secure.