Keyshawn Johnson dismisses the notion of Caleb Williams becoming like Dak Prescott when he faces ranked teams

Johnson believes that Caleb Williams has won a Heisman so he has the capabilities of a champion.

Losing two back-to-back games against similar-statured opponents has put a question mark on USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams‘ ability to perform when it matters the most. However, a former alumnus of the California Institute has come to the young quarterback, who is drawing comparisons to Dak Prescott, whom the media believes to be on the same boat. Former NFL receiver and now FOX analyst Keyshawn Johnson has asked everyone not to count Williams out just yet.

In Wednesday’s segment of Undisputed, Johnson reviewed a viral clip of Caleb Williams turning into Dak Prescott against top-tier opposition. In their most recent match, USC narrowly lost to 13th-ranked Utah State by a last-second 38-yard field goal. The fans would not be too upset because they lost the fixture last season as well. Unfortunately, this came on the back of arguably his worst performance this calendar year.

On matchday 7, they traveled to Indiana to face their bitter rivals, 13th-ranked Notre Dame. They were looking to secure their second win against the Irish in 2023. All season, Caleb Willaims had only thrown one pick, but he threw three in the first half alone. He did not even manage to cross the 200-passing-yard threshold and recorded an abysmal 3rd down efficiency.

Since then, the 21-year-old has been the subject of severe criticism from all corners of the media and fans. But Keyshawn Johnson has faith that Williams still has the Heisman-winning pedigree.

Here is what Keyshawn Johnson had to say:

I want to respond to this fan who says that ‘Caleb Williams is against ranked teams; he is a carbon copy of Dak Prescott.’ Prescott has allegedly struggled against dominant opponents, and so has Caleb. But when I look at it, Caleb Williams did win the Heisman Trophy a year ago. He did have to face quality opponents, whether they were ranked or not.

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@Keyshawn debunks the notion that Caleb Williams is mediocre when playing vs ranked competition:

📺:

https://t.co/qpf2dm5cLQ pic.twitter.com/TgEneOLwyg

— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed)

October 24, 2023

Keyshawn Johnson claimed that only blaming Caleb Williams for the USC losses was wrong

Football is a team game. Yes, some positions may have a more crucial role to play, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that everyone has to contribute their 100% to gain a win. Quarterbacks may be the center of attention, but they need protection from the opposing rushers.

USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (Image via FOX)
Not only that, the team requires competent defenders to shut other teams down. This has been a major problem for the USC Trojans in the last four games. They have conceded at least 34 points, which started off during a 41-48 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes.

Johnson said:

Our defense at USC is god-aweful. I mean, at some point, Lincoln Riley [USC head coach] has to look in the mirror and make a tough decision. Go out there and hire Rex Ryan. Pay him $3 million a year. Get him to be your defensive coordinator moving forward.

The former Jets coach is a wild shout, but not a bad one. The current ESPN analyst won Super Bowl 2000 with the Baltimore Ravens, DC. Hiring him is still a massive if. But one thing is for certain: USC’s window for playing in a prestigious bowl this season is closing rapidly.