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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Southern California

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12/05/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

2022 HEISMAN TROPHY FINALIST: QB Caleb Williams, Southern California,...Williams, a sophomore, led the Trojans to the Pac-12 championship game, one year after transferring from Oklahoma and heading west along with head coach Lincoln Riley to revive a stagnant program. He has completed 66.1% of his passes for 4,075 yards, while throwing for 37 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He is seeking to be Riley's third Heisman Trophy winner and USC's first Heisman winner since Reggie Bush in 2005, an award that was later vacated. - Frank Cooney's NFL Draft Scout

Jr/2024

QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: Frank Cooney's NFL Draft Scout
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12/04/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is hopeful he can lead the Trojans' offense against No. 16 Tulane in the Cotton Bowl, while coach Lincoln Riley offered a more cautious forecast Sunday. Williams limped his way through the Pac-12 title game after he "popped" his hamstring on a first-quarter run. Riley noted after the game that Williams was "not even close to 50%" during the second half and that he considered going to backup Miller Moss. But the Heisman Trophy favorite refused to check out, instead fighting his way through the rest of the Utah loss while largely confined to the pocket, unable to scramble as usual.

Williams, who still had a serious limp Sunday, was confident that he would play in the bowl game when asked by The Times after an event for his foundation, Caleb Cares. "It would take a lot to keep me out," Williams said. Riley said Williams likely would not be able to play if USC had another game in the next two weeks, referring to it as a "significant hamstring injury." "Hamstrings are different for everybody, but the nature of his is pretty severe," Riley said. "... We will see how it progresses. We obviously hope to have him. He's a warrior." - LA Times

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QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: LA Times
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12/02/22 - Jack Sullivan, rSr/2024, Southern California + More +

2022 ALL-BIG TEN FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION (COACHES): Jack Sullivan,...Sullivan leads the Boilermakers with 5.5 sacks this season, ranking eighth in the conference. Stepping up in conference games, 4.5 sacks have come in against league opponents, the sixth-most in the B1G. Sullivan had a crucial strip sack in the win over Northwestern, forcing a turnover late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. His 33 tackles pace the Purdue defensive line. - Purdue Football

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DE Jack Sullivan, Southern California
News Source: Purdue Football
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12/01/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

The College Football Playoff announced Thursday it will expand to a 12-team event starting in 2024, completing an 18-month process that was fraught with delays and disagreements. The announcement comes a day after the Rose Bowl agreed to amend its contract for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, which was the last hurdle CFP officials needed cleared to triple the size of what is now a four-team format. We appreciate the leaders of the six bowl games and the two future national championship game host cities for their cooperation," CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said in a statement. "Everyone realized that this change is in the best interest of college football and pulled together to make it happen." The first round of the new playoff in 2024 will take place the week ending Saturday, Dec. 21. Exact dates are still to be determined.

The championship game for the 2024 season will be played Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. The championship game for the 2025 season will be played Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. Both are more than a week later than the current title game timing. Expansion is expected to produce about $450 million in additional gross revenue for the conferences and schools that participate. The plan to expand the playoff was unveiled in June 2021, but the conference commissioners who manage the CFP could not come to the unanimous consensus needed to push the proposal forward. Expansion for the 2024 season was pronounced dead back in February. University presidents and chancellors who oversee the CFP stepped in and revived the process over the summer. They approved the original plan for use by 2026, and threw it back to the commissioners, directing them to try to expand by 2024, if possible. The College Football Playoff’s 12-year contract with ESPN runs through the 2025-26 season. - AP College Football

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QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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11/29/22 - *Jordan Addison, Jr/2023, Southern California + More +

USC moved up two spots to No. 4 in the fifth set of the 2022 College Football Playoff Selection Committee Rankings on Tuesday. A top-four ranking puts the Trojans (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) in position to make their first College Football Playoff appearance. USC will face No. 11 Utah in Friday's Pac-12 Football Championship Game (5:00 p.m. PT/FOX), two days before the final rankings are released. Lincoln Riley's 11 wins ties for the most by a USC head coach in his regular season debut, matching the 11 wins by Howard Jones in 1925 and John Robinson in 1976. - USC Football

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WR *Jordan Addison, Southern California
News Source: USC Football
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11/28/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

NOV 27 WALTER CAMP NATIONAL FBS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: CALEB WILLIAMS, USC, Sophomore, Quarterback, Washington, DC/Gonzaga College,...Caleb Williams accounted for four touchdowns (1 passing, 3 rushing) as sixth-ranked USC defeated 15th-ranked Notre Dame, 38-27. Williams passed for 232 yards (18-of-22) and rushed for 35 yards to lead the Trojans. USC was the first team all season to total 400+ offensive yards on the Fighting Irish defense. With the win, USC improved to 11-1 and will play Utah in Friday's Pac-12 Championship Game. Notes: Caleb Williams wins Offensive Player of Week for the second time this season (Oct. 30) and is the eighth USC honoree to earn Walter Camp National Player of Week honors since the award started in 2004. - The Walter Camp Football Foundation

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QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: The Walter Camp Football Foundation
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11/26/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

Caleb Willams polished his Heisman Trophy credentials with 232 yards passing and four total touchdowns, and No. 5 Southern California capped its outstanding regular season under new coach Lincoln Riley by staying firmly in the College Football Playoff race with a 38-27 victory over No. 13 Notre Dame on Saturday night. Tahj Washington caught an early TD pass from Williams while USC (11-1, No. 6 CFP) snapped its four-game losing streak in its famed intersectional rivalry with the Fighting Irish (8-4, No. 15 CFP). The night felt like a Heisman coronation for Williams, who iced the win on his third rushing touchdown with 2:35 to play by sprinting 16 yards through the heart of the Notre Dame defense for the 44th total TD of his incredible season. Williams struck a Heisman pose on the USC sideline after a score in the first half, and he was serenaded with frequent chants of "Heisman! Heisman!" from the Coliseum crowd. Although USC is headed to Pac-12 title game in Las Vegas on Friday, the revitalized Trojans first kept their CFP hopes intact with this victory - and even got a boost from LSU's loss to Texas A&M during this game. USC became the first team to gain 400 yards and to score more than 32 points this season against the Irish while completing its first 11-win regular season since 2008.

Drew Pyne passed for 318 yards and hit Michael Mayer for two of his three TDs for the Irish, whose five-game winning streak ended in their regular-season finale under new coach Marcus Freeman. Pyne completed his first 15 throws into the fourth quarter, but he ultimately couldn't keep up with Williams, and the Irish surrendered the Jeweled Shillelagh in their first trip to the Coliseum since 2018. The 93rd edition of this rivalry was a showcase for Williams, the sophomore who followed Riley from Oklahoma to USC last winter and quickly reached his extraordinary potential on the West Coast. With a pocket elusiveness that had Notre Dame's defense embracing air and a lively arm at nearly any distance, Williams set single-season records for quarterbacks in total touchdowns and yards rushing at a school rich in talent at the position. After repeatedly eluding the Notre Dame defense on USC's final drive of the first half, Williams rushed for a 5-yard TD up the middle on a perfect run-pass option. When the quarterback reached the USC sideline, he smilingly struck a Heisman pose to his teammates. Williams added another TD run on the first snap of the fourth quarter, and he punctuated it by blowing kisses to the USC student section. - USC/AP College Football

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QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: USC/AP College Football
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11/22/22 - *Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr/2023, Southern California + More +

LSU moved up to fifth and Southern California was sixth Tuesday night in the College Football Playoff rankings behind Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU. The top four remained the same for the third straight week, but the teams chasing changed order after Tennessee lost to South Carolina last Saturday night. Two huge games this weekend could create more clarity. Michigan is at Ohio State on Saturday and USC hosts Notre Dame, which checked in at 15th in the selection committee's rankings.

There are two more rankings left. The final ones on Dec. 4 set the field for the College Football Playoff. The semifinals will be played Dec. 31 in the Peach and Fiesta bowls. The national championship game will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Alabama was seventh, though the Crimson Tide don't seem to have a realistic route to make the College Football Playoff for the eight time in nine years. LSU and Georgia are already locked into the Southeastern Conference title game. Clemson came in at ninth and Tennessee fell to 10th. - AP College Football

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DE *Tuli Tuipulotu, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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11/21/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

NOV 21 PAC-12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Caleb Williams, So., QB, USC (Washington, D.C.),...Leading Heisman Trophy candidate Caleb Williams went 32-of-43 for a career-high 470 yards and 2 TD and rushed for 33 yards on 8 carries with 1 TD to lead the Trojans to victory over crosstown rival UCLA 48-45 in the Rose Bowl...Williams' 503 total yards set a USC single game record. The previous record was held by Kedon Slovis who had 502 yards versus UCLA in 2019. 503 total yards was also the most by any player in the series' 92-game history.

316 rushing yards this year are the most by a USC QB since Troy Winslow had 319 in 1965, and he is 3 yards shy of the most by a Trojan QB in the last 70 years when complete records were first available (342 yards by Jim Sears in 1952; Sears played halfback but led USC in passing that season)...Through 11 games, Williams has 33 pass TD and 3 INT. He is 250-for-385 (.649) for 3,480 yards. Rushed for 316 yards on 88 carries with 7 TDs. Has accounted for 40 total touchdowns in 11 games at USC. Also nominated: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon; Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah; Damien Martinez, RB, Oregon State; Dorian Singer, WR, Arizona; Michael Ezeike, TE, UCLA; Wayne Taulapapa, RB, Washington. - Pac-12 Football

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QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: Pac-12 Football
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11/21/22 - *Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr/2023, Southern California + More +

NOV 21 PAC-12 DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr., DL, USC (Hawthorne, Calif.),...Collected 6 tackles with 1.5 for loss for 5 yards in USC's 48-45 victory over crosstown rival UCLA in the Rose Bowl...Finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award. By virtue of being named a Nagurski finalist, Tuipulotu will make the FWAA All-American First Team and will become USC's 171st All-American first teamer...Semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award...He is No. 3 in the nation in sacks (1.00) and leads the Pac-12 Conference. Tuipulotu's 11.5 sacks are the most in a single season at USC since Kenechi Udeze set the Trojans' record with 16.5 in 2003. He is also No. 4 in the nation in tackles for loss (1.7) and leads the Pac-12...Becomes the 1st player to win this honor 4 times in one season since the award was created prior to the 2019 season...Also nominated: Casey Rogers, DL, Oregon; Gabe Reid, DE, Utah; Ron Stone Jr, EDGE, Washington State; Cory Stover, OLB, Oregon State. - Pac-12 Football

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DE *Tuli Tuipulotu, Southern California
News Source: Pac-12 Football
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11/21/22 - Andrew Vorhees, rSr/2023, Southern California + More +

NOV 21 PAC-12 OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Andrew Vorhees, RS Sr., LG, USC (Kingsburg, Calif.),...Vorhees' pass blocking was a crucial piece of QB Caleb Williams' outstanding performance to allow him to go 32-of-43 for a career-high 470 yards and 2 TD to lead the Trojans to victory over crosstown rival UCLA 48-45 in the Rose Bowl...His run blocking allowed 3 different Trojans to score rushing touchdowns: Austin Jones with 2, and Caleb Williams and Darwin Barlow with 1 each. Jones recorded a season-high 120 rushing yards on 21 carries. Williams rushed for 33 yards on 8 carries with 1 TD. His 316 rushing yards this year are the most by a USC QB since Troy Winslow had 319 in 1965, and he is 3 yards shy of the most by a Trojan QB in the last 70 years when complete records were first available (342 yards by Jim Sears in 1952; Sears played halfback but led USC in passing that season). Also nominated: Jaxson Kirkland, LG, Washington; Taliese Fuaga, RT, Oregon State; Ryan Walk, C, Oregon. - Pac-12 Football

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OG Andrew Vorhees, Southern California
News Source: Pac-12 Football
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11/20/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

Southern California moved into the top five of The Associated Press college football poll Sunday for the first time in five years. Georgia received 62 of the 63 first-place votes in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank as the top four teams held their places after playing varying degrees of close games Saturday. No. 2 Ohio State received the other first-place vote. Michigan was No. 3 again, followed by TCU. The fifth-ranked Trojans edged up two spots after a thrilling victory against rival UCLA. The last time USC was ranked in the top five was September of 2017, when it started at No. 4 but spent most of the season ranked in the teens before finishing 12th.

Lincoln Riley's first season as USC coach has produced one of the best turnarounds in the country, with the Trojans going from four wins to 10, and the regular-season finale against No. 13 Notre Dame and a Pac-12 championship game still to go. "If you would have told me at the end of last season I would be here now with this group of guys and being able to play for a championship, I would have called you a dead liar. Just being completely honest,” USC fourth-year receiver Kyle Ford told reporters after the UCLA game. "I'm just so thankful for everyone on this team.” LSU stayed at No. 6. Clemson moved up two spots to No. 7. Alabama held at eighth and Tennessee dropped four spots to No. 9 after getting upset in a blowout at South Carolina. In their 63-38 victory, the Gamecocks scored more points against a top-five team as an unranked team than any in the history of the AP poll. Oregon rounded out the top 10 after the Ducks beat Utah in the Pac-12's other marquee game on Saturday night. - AP College Football

Jr/2024

QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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11/19/22 - Caleb Williams, Jr/2024, Southern California + More +

Caleb Williams passed for a career-high 470 yards, Austin Jones rushed for a season-high 120 yards and seventh-ranked Southern California clinched a spot on the Pac-12 Championship game with a 48-45 victory over No. 16 UCLA on Saturday night. Williams also rushed for 32 yards and finished with 503 yards of total offense. The Trojans (10-1, 8-1 Pac-12) had a season-high 648 yards of total offense and took advantage of four Bruins turnovers. Williams completed 32 of 43 passes with two touchdowns and an interception.

His favorite target was Jordan Addison, who had 11 receptions for 178 yards and a touchdown. USC fell behind 14-0 before rallying. The Trojans scored on eight of nine drives, including five straight. Dorian Thompson-Robinson accounted for all six UCLA touchdowns, but also had three interceptions and a fumble. UCLA got the ball with 2:21 remaining after forcing USC to punt. The Bruins (8-3, 5-3) got to midfield but their hopes of a comeback evaporated when Thompson-Robinson was picked off by Korey Foreman at midfield with 1:26 remaining. Thompson-Robinson was 23 of 38 for 309 yards and passed for four touchdowns. He also rushed for 75 yards and two scores. - USC/AP College Football

Jr/2024

QB Caleb Williams, Southern California
News Source: USC/AP College Football
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11/16/22 - *Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr/2023, Southern California + More +

2022 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY FINALIST: Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC (6-4, 290, Jr., Hawthorne, Calif.): Tuipulotu is the nation's second-leading sack man with 11.5 on the season (1.15 per game). He is also the Pac-12 leader and is fourth nationally with 1.8 tackles for loss per game (17.5 total). Those combine for 167 yards lost to opposing offenses. Tuipulotu's 11.5 sacks are the most in a single season at USC since Kenechi Udeze set the Trojans' record with 16.5 in 2003. Tuipulotu - pronounced TOO-ee-poo-LOE-too - is sixth on the team with 32 tackles, 23 of them solo. He has three pass breakups at the line, two quarterback hurries - one of which turned into an intentional grounding penalty for a safety against Colorado - and has forced two fumbles. Tuipulotu is USC's second Bronko Nagurski finalist and first in 14 seasons. The other came in 2008 and linebacker Rey Maualuga. As of today's announcement, Tuipulotu is USC's first FWAA All-American on defense since 2014 when defensive lineman Leonard Williams made the second team. - Football Writers Association of America

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DE *Tuli Tuipulotu, Southern California
News Source: Football Writers Association of America
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11/14/22 - *Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr/2023, Southern California + More +

NOV 14 PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr., DL, USC (Hawthorne, Calif.),...Once again a defensive standout for the Trojans in their 55-17 victory over Colorado in the Coliseum on Friday night. He recorded 3 tackles, with 2.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also tallied 1 forced fumble and 1 pass breakup. Lott IMPACT Trophy Semifinalist, Rotary Lombardi Semifinalist and Bednarik Award Semifinalist. On the season, Tuipulotu has 32 tackles (17.5 for loss with 11.5 sacks), 3 pass breakups, 2 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles. 11.5 sacks this season are the most in a single season by a Trojan since Kenechi Udeze set the USC record with 16.5 sacks in the 2003 season. Leads the nation in sacks with 11.5 on the season (1.15 per game is 2nd in FBS). Tuipulotu now has 19.0 career sacks. Also nominated: Jacob Manu, LB, Arizona; Brennan Jackson, EDGE, Washington State; Simote Pepa, DT, Utah; Ryan Cooper Jr., DB, Oregon State. - Pac-12 Football

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