Colin Cowherd has placed USC QB Caleb Williams in a class alongside Andrew Luck in 2012 and Trevor Lawrence in 2021 among quarterbacks who are better than many in the NFL entering their final season in college. In fact, 75% of the NFL, he said.

Cowherd said Williams reminds him more of Patrick Mahomes in college, as a composed passer, rather than Josh Allen, who was more out of control. Williams sometimes backpedals too much, and he’d like Williams to be an inch or so taller, but otherwise is as polished as you’d like.

“They have something that I think is important, and it’s that they have this incredible confidence, but it’s never narcissism,” Cowherd said. “It’s never conceited and it’s never arrogance. That was the problem with Johnny Manziel, that was the problem with Cam (Newton), that was the problem with Baker (Mayfield). That they were confident, but it became conceit, there was arrogance, maybe both. It was obnoxious at times. And that’s really important as a pro quarterback.”

Cowherd sees an elite quarterback like Williams as a coach on the field, and he said while leadership is difficult to define, you know it when you talk to it. Cowherd then recalled a conversation he had with Williams.

“He walked up to me and said, ‘I’m not nearly as good as you say I am.’ You ever get that with Baker? Johnny Manziel? No,” Cowherd said.

The 3 QBs, Luck, Lawrence and Williams, also aren’t afraid to take a risk, and aren’t impacted by interceptions, but the bottom line is they aren’t reckless.