1. Playing for Lincoln Riley
In just three seasons as a head coach, former college QB Lincoln Riley has clearly established himself as the quarterback whisperer of college football. In those three seasons, two Sooner quarterbacks won the Heisman Trophy and a third was voted a Heisman runner-up. The two Heisman winners also went on to become the No. 1 player selected in back-to-back NFL Drafts, and Jalen Hurts, who transferred from Alabama to play his final season of eligibility at Oklahoma, was a second-round NFL pick.
Williams and Riley connected almost from the start, with Williams reporting in his July 6 “All on the Line” blog for Sports Illustrated:
"“I just truly felt that (Oklahoma) was best for me from the family aspect and for helping me get to my next goal after high school and then after college. “Coach Riley is an awesome guy, an awesome coach. He’s done some pretty awesome things in his first couple years here, especially with his first three quarterbacks.”"
Even after his last official visit to OU in March, Williams and Riley have spoken numerous times, going over film and discussing various subjects relative to Oklahoma football and Williams’ future. Williams acknowledged in an interview following his commitment announcement that it was his connection with coach Riley that actually sealed the deal.