TWO months after Caleb Williams' father revealed his son may not enter the 2024 NFL Draft, the youngster himself has spoken out on the situation.
The USC quarterback, 22, is widely expected to be selected first overall should he declare for the upcoming NFL Draft in Detroit, Michigan.
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However, thus far Williams has remained non-commital on the prospect of leaving prior to his senior season.
In a recent interview with the LA Times, he described the prospect as "a game-time decision."
For Williams, "game-time" will come on January 15 - the deadline for the 2024 class of prospective rookies.
This vague response follow his father Carl's comments in September when speaking to GQ Magazine in which bluntly stated that his son may opt to wait another year if the situation doesn't suit him.
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Carl said: "The way the system is constructed, you go to the worst possible situation. The worst possible team, the worst organization in the league—because of their desire for parity—gets the first pick. So it’s the gift and the curse."
He went on to explain: "He's got two shots at the apple," adding: "So if there's not a good situation, the truth is, he can come back to school."
And Williams himself admitted that this inability to control his own destiny fully surrounding his landing spot was unusual for him.
"Going into this next part of my career, it's weird 'cause it's so uncertain," Williams said.
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"You don't know anything. You can't control anything but you and how you act. That's honestly the weirdest part for me, is the uncertainty."
Williams' latest comments follow what has been a tough year for the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner.
He led the Trojans to a 7-5 season, leaving them sixth in the Pac-12.
"This was one of my most important years of playing football so far," Williams told the LA Times.
He went on to explain: "I've never been in this situation, where I'm 7-5 and there are no playoff hopes at the end of the season.
"I'm dealing with it emotionally, dealing with it spiritually and physically. It's been one of the most important years I think I've had."
For Williams, learning to handle these situations had been "a learning process" - one which could come in useful should he be drafted by a rebuilding franchise as is often the case for top draft picks.
Entering Week 13, the Chicago Bears hold the first overall pick, via a prior trade with the Carolina Panthers.
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