Caleb Williams Sharp vs. Deion Sanders’ Unranked Colorado

USC quarterback (QB) Caleb Williams went off against the unranked Colorado Buffaloes in a 48-41 win.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVERY USC QB CALEB WILLIAMS THROW AND RUN AGAINST COLORADO.

Williams looked crisp going 30-of-40 (75%) for 403 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. He was out there showing off elite pocket mobility and confidently doing his thing.

It was his second-best performance of the season next to the No. 93-ranked Stanford game, and his 75% completion percentage tied with his earlier season outing against No. 131 Nevada.

Getting the ball out of his hand fast proved to be key

Out of Williams’ 40 passing attempts, I charted 24 short-range throws (60%).

His short throws were quick, deliberate, and on point. He was moving around and even making some signature short off-platform throws ala Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes.

Going through progressions and ball security

These two areas turned out really well in this game, and it’s two boxes that are vitally important to Williams’ NFL future.

Often NFL QBs need to go through multiple reads and progressions from the pocket and Williams only locked in (on non-short throws) four times.

I could often see his head moving and looking off defenders. This is a great sign.

Despite inconsistent ball placement at the intermediate-to-deep level, Williams had only one disrupted pass and one interception against the Buffaloes.

He did a pretty good job keeping the ball out of harm’s way.

Tendency to hold the ball too long reared its ugly head

This happened on four plays, which has been a recurring theme with Williams last season and this season.

It seems like a natural tendency for him, to hold the ball too long, something USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley has had to work hard to control and keep him from doing.

How well is Williams seeing the field?

This is something I have been noticing this season sometimes when he takes off and runs (putting himself at injury risk) while having an open receiver he could’ve gone to instead. At first, I thought it was just because he wanted to make the play, but I am starting to really wonder if he’s seeing his receivers and the field well enough.

Case in point, this interception against Colorado. Clearly, he had a better option in what would appear to be his line of vision (#15), but instead, he throws a bad-looking interception.

Scouting summary

I can’t stress enough how good Williams looked in this game. I also see a distinct pattern of the importance of coaching getting the ball out of his hand quickly by getting him in a fast tempo keeping him from thinking too much and taking matters into his own hands.

This was his key to success against Colorado and it resulted in a touchdown fireworks show. His timing with receivers was on point.

I have now evaluated Williams in every game last season and this season. His natural proclivity to hold the ball too long is in his football DNA. It’s when he makes some of his biggest highlight plays, but it’s also when things tend to break down (ball placement, ball security, and the increased risk for injury).

However, Williams kept it moving against Colorado. He also protected his body on the five rushes he had for 12 yards.

USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley kept him on a shorter leash again and it paid off.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Find him on Twitter @firstroundmock.