Will these 2 talented Oklahoma wide receivers finally follow Caleb Williams to USC?
By Evan Desai
When new USC football QB Caleb Williams hit the transfer portal, Oklahoma football writer Jason Kersey of The Athletic had this to say about other players leaving to play with the elite signal-caller (subscription required):
"Will other Oklahoma players follow Williams? Obviously, there is a chance. Wide receivers Mario Williams and Jalil Farooq were explicit about wanting to play with Caleb Williams. Farooq and Caleb Williams were youth football teammates and both came from the Washington, D.C., area. There have also been rumblings about Marvin Mims, the Sooners’ leading receiver the past two seasons. Mims said before the Alamo Bowl that he wanted to be at OU in 2022 but didn’t explicitly confirm his return."
- Jason Kersey, The Athletic
Well, Kersey was certainly right about Mario, as he already made the move. As for Farooq and Mims, neither has entered the transfer portal, but clearly may re-consider if they have been interested in playing with their former quarterback. It obviously seems like Farooq in particular certainly has quite the relationship with the star QB.
If USC brings in Marvin Mims and Jalil Farooq, Caleb Williams will have a much easier time adapting to our program.
Both Marvin Mims and Jalil Farooq are clearly very familiar targets for new USC QB Caleb Williams. Mims has been awesome for OU these past two years, combining for 69 catches and 1,315 yards with 14 touchdowns. And while Farooq didn't play a ton for OU last year (just two games), he obviously has been familiar with Caleb since they were young.
The chemistry that Farooq and Mims would bring would make Caleb's transition so much easier. All three already know the offense, and they'd be in a wide receiver room that also already has their boy Mario Williams in the fold. It would create lots of familiarity within the SC offense, which would help things grow quicker and quicker.
Neither is in the transfer portal, but as we all know, in this day and age anybody can transfer at any time. Transfer season is CERTAINLY far from over, and SC for instance is expected to keep adding via the portal. They actually kind of teased that even further with the small high school class they signed this season (just eight players).
If SC gets a transfer from either of these players, it would be a great addition. It would particularly be great if it was from Mims, but don't forget just how special Farooq's connection with Caleb can be. The two were a great combo in the Alamo Bowl about a month ago--connecting three times for 64 yards.
If SC can make a run at one of these guys, both Riley and Caleb will be ecstatic. There are many options out there with the transfer portal going crazy this offseason. This is a new era of college football, and it's time for SC to take advantage.