Oklahoma Football: Caleb Williams storming into Heisman consideration

Before the 2021 Oklahoma football season, Spencer Rattler was the lead favorite to win the Heisman.

After the Sooners’ disappointing play through five games and the opening half against Texas, Lincoln Riley elected to change things up and gave true freshman Caleb Williams the keys to the offense.

Rarely do you see a preseason All-American and Heisman candidate get replaced near halfway through the year. Rattler encountered struggles moving the ball in a sputtering Sooners’ offense. Williams came in right before halftime in the Texas game and led OU to a remarkable comeback from an 18-point deficit and a 55-48 victory.

In three starts since the Texas game, Williams has proved that his insertion in the starting lineup was not a one-time, random spark to the Oklahoma offense. With the exception of a poor opening half at Kansas, his performance has ignited the previously up-and-down Sooner offense to another performance level.

Oklahoma’s winning margin in the last three games with Williams at quarterback have been 21, 12 and 31, respectively — a far cry from the five Sooner wins of seven points or less earlier in the season.

The No. 4-ranked Sooners left behind a near-meltdown against the Jayhawks with aby winning comfortable 52-21 win over Texas Tech. Caleb Williams threw for an OU freshman-record 402 yards along with 6 touchdowns (five of those in the first half). The six touchdowns tied a school record for the most TDs by a true freshman.

The freshmen sensation some are calling Superman continues to light up the college football world with his mind-blowing plays. Despite not having full-season numbers, Williams is moving up on the list of 2021 Heisman candidates. And he can still make a late-season push with big games against No. 14 Baylor, Iowa State, and No. 11 Oklahoma State.

Is it possible for Caleb Williams to win the Heisman? Yes, indeed.

The Sooners have produced two Heisman Trophy winners in the last four years (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray), as well as a Heisman runner-up (Jalen Hurts) They look to add another one, very soon.

If Williams and the Sooners can close the regular season 12-0 and capture another Big 12 title, there will be Williams Heisman talk. In his last three starts, Williams is 72 for 98 for 875 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also rushed 139 yards and 2 touchdowns. Williams caught national attention by ripping the ball from Kennedy Brooks on a fourth down and surging the necessary yardage for a first down late in the Kansas game, which literally saved the game.

Caleb Williams has been climbing on everyone’s Heisman boards.

Just like former winners Mayfield and Murray, the month of November is when OU quarterbacks do damage. In November of Mayfield’s Heisman season, he threw for 1,469 yards and 14 touchdowns. Murray threw for 1,345 yards and 9 touchdowns in the month of November.  Williams has a chance to join those elite Oklahoma quarterbacks.

After the bye week, the Sooners travel to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears, which will be a gut check. The Bears have won four of their last five, including notable wins over No.19 BYU and Texas. Baylor is ranked 36th nationally in total defense and is only allowing 210 passing yards a game.

Williams has had a few “Heisman moments” so far, and will most likely add more. The freshmen Houdini has his Sooners 9-0 heading into the bye week. It’s the first time since 2004 the Sooners have started 9-0.