J Brady McCullough (LA Times)  —  Here are five things to know about new USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who announced that he would follow head coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to Los Angeles — the surest sign yet that the Trojans’ splashy hire of Riley is going to pay off with substance sooner rather than later.

Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams stands on the field after leading the Sooners to victory over Texas on Oct. 9.

(Jeffrey McWhorter / AP)

USC is coming off its most forgettable season in decades, a campaign that featured a 15-point loss at Notre Dame and a humbling 29-point defeat to UCLA at the Coliseum. The Trojans’ last win against the Fighting Irish came in 2016, and Chip Kelly’s Bruins have split four games. The quickest way for Riley to ingratiate himself with his new fan base is to change those trends.

Enter Williams, who jogged onto the Cotton Bowl field Oct. 9 with Oklahoma trailing the hated Texas Longhorns 28-7. The freshman’s first play in the Red River Rivalry? A 66-yard rush for a touchdown that signaled to Steve Sarkisian’s bunch that Williams was going to bring a different element than the struggling Spencer Rattler. Williams’ moxie and presence rallied the Sooners, who needed every one of his 300 total yards to escape Dallas with a 55-48 win.

As Sports Illustrated’s profile of Williams explained, his exploits were not surprising to those who coached him and played with him in Washington, where he grew into the nation’s top quarterback recruit in the 2021 class.

Williams attended Gonzaga College High, an elite, all-boys Catholic school, located just a mile from the U.S. Capitol, so it doesn’t seem he will be a fish out of water walled in from L.A. by USC’s prestigious gates. At Gonzaga, Williams naturally picked up the nickname “Superman” because of his flair for the dramatic and game-saving ability.

Sure, Williams was born with special gifts, but he had also been groomed from a young age by his father, Carl, to excel in the biggest moments. Carl is a co-owner of a D.C.-area Athletic Republic, a national chain of training facilities where Williams worked with an experienced crew to hone the craft of quarterbacking.

But Rattler did not look the part of a Heisman favorite in the season’s first month, and some disgruntled OU fans chanted, “We want Caleb!” When the Sooners fell behind to the Longhorns, Riley made the bold move to see what the freshman could do.

The next week, Riley did not name a starter, hoping to keep it quiet. The OU Daily, the student newspaper, watched practice from a nearby parking facility and reported that Williams was taking the first-team snaps, which riled Riley, who was known for limiting media access in Norman. Freshmen were not allowed to speak to media, and Williams was not made available until after Riley had left for USC, after OU’s bowl game.

Williams still completed 64.5% of his passes for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He also rushed for 442 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

With a combined 180,000 followers on Instagram and Twitter, he will remain open for business in Los Angeles’ media market, which had to be a big draw for him in picking USC, along with his trust in Riley to continue his development.

Williams’ performance against Texas was so startling that within weeks rumblings began that he could win the Heisman despite not starting until halfway through the season. At that point, none of the preseason favorites had made their cases for that kind of recognition, and Williams’ talent was undeniable.