Comparisons between USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams and Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes have been slammed on social media.
The prospect of 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Williams coming into the NFL when he is draft-eligible in a year's time has got many commentators salivating. However, fans have drawn the line at rating him as good as NFL MVP Mahomes before the former has even left college football.
Coaches have rated Williams as better than the crop of quarterbacks drafted last week, with one telling The Athletic that compared to Bryce Young, who was the top pick in the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, Williams is: "Much bigger... He's got this thick lower body, thick ankles, big, thick calves. And he plays fast."
The Athletic also reported that another NFL coach had gone on a deep dive into the abilities of Williams, watching 22 games of the 21-year-old via All-22 film so that he can see the whole picture on the field and assess the choices the QB is making compared to the movement of his receivers and pressure from the defense.
The coach told the media outlet that Williams was a "more refined" version of Mahomes. That was the comment that led to many getting upset on Twitter.
When asked about Williams, the coach said: "He is really good. His arm is special. His play extension is special. His throw selection is special. He takes care of the ball well.
"The throws he makes ... it's not just the off-platform throws, it's a lot of creating lanes for himself to throw. He's the closest I've seen to Mahomes. He's like a refined Mahomes.
"It's hard to compare anybody to Mahomes, but he really does play like him. I don't think his arm is quite like that, but it's definitely special for college. It's not quite as freaky as Pat's, but it's upper-level for the NFL."
Not everyone was convinced by this assessment, with one commenting on Twitter in reply to the statement: "Strange comparison. Considering he is only a college player. I will believe it when I see it. Not saying he can or can't. But I doubt it."
Another tweeted: "Patrick MaHomes is on a different level. Let's have some realistic comparisons."
A third pointed out: "Cmon. Stop comparing a college QB to the best in the league already. Ain't fair."
There were some who felt that comparisons were not helpful, with one tweeting: "Can we just view folks on their own merits? No one is going to be the next Jordan, the next Kobe, the next Mahomes. They're in a class of their own, like many other great athletes.
"Judge Williams on his own merit, his own stats, his own performance."
Williams had quite a season with USC, throwing 42 touchdowns with just five interceptions.
The quarterback had a 67 percent pass completion rate for 4,537 yards, with him also running for 382 and 10 touchdowns.
It has been reported that Williams has been on the radar of many NFL coaches since he spent time at the QB Collective Camp, when he was at high school, working with the likes of Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel at the camp.
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Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
