Caleb Williams hears verdict on Maxwell Award as he waits for Heisman

USC Football QB Caleb Williams has officially been awarded the Maxwell Award, which recognizes the "Nation's Most Outstanding College Football Player." All this does is further cement Williams as the front-runner for the big one: The Heisman Trophy. The Maxwell Award is a big one too, though, and was announced Thursday night on ESPN.

Williams was right to win this award. There truly was nobody more outstanding than the excellent dual threat QB that Williams was, as he not only threw for 4,075 pass yards, but he also ran for 372 yards.

Whenever anyone looked up, he always seemed to find the end zone. Williams threw for 37 touchdown passes, and ran for 10 more touchdowns. Again, he was perfectly dynamic as both a passer and a runner. He was accurate; completing 66.1% of his passes, and he also was incredibly efficient; averaging 9.1 yards per pass attempt and 10.3 adjusted yards per pass attempt.

Perhaps his most notable achievement, however, is turning a team that was 4-8 in 2021, to a team that was 11-2 this year in his first year here at USC. SC went from having their worst season in program history last season, and now is ranked in the Top 10 and going to the Cotton Bowl next month.

There were many great players competing with USC Football QB Caleb Williams for the Maxwell Award.

USC Football QB Caleb Williams is the first Maxwell Award winner since Marcus Allen in 1981. That's how difficult it is to win this one. It's important for Williams, and for USC fans to cherish this moment for a little bit before they worry about the Heisman on Saturday.

And regardless of whether he wins the Heisman, the fact that he's winning other prestigious awards like this proves that he'll be one of the top favorites for the Heisman next year no matter what. The same can be said for next year's Maxwell Award. Williams is only in his first full year of starting at quarterback in the college game. This is really only the beginning.