Caleb Williams is the latest USC Heisman winner to have his number retired.
The school announced Thursday that it would be retiring the No. 13 that Williams wore in his two seasons with the Trojans. USC had musician John Legend reveal that Williams’ number had been retired in a video posted to social media.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft is getting ready to make his NFL debut on Sunday for the Chicago Bears when they take on the Tennessee Titans.
Williams transferred to USC ahead of the 2022 season when Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley was hired by the Trojans. Williams went on to have an incredible season in his first full-time season as a starter. He completed two-thirds of his passes for over 4,500 yards and threw 42 TDs to just five interceptions. He also rushed for 10 TDs.
Williams got 544 first-place votes and was the runaway winner ahead of TCU QB Max Duggan.
USC took a step back in 2023 as the defense struggled mightily. Williams threw for over 3,600 yards and had 41 total TDs in 12 games before sitting out the bowl game in preparation for the NFL Draft.
Williams is the seventh Heisman winner to have his number retired by the school alongside Carson Palmer (No. 3), Matt Leinart (11), Charles White (12), Mike Garrett (20), O.J. Simpson (32) and Marcus Allen (33). Reggie Bush’s number hasn’t yet been retired by the school but it seems likely that will happen at some point in the near future. Bush’s 2005 Heisman was given back to him in April as the Heisman Trust said that it was “the right time to reinstate the trophy for Reggie” given the NIL changes in college sports.
Bush had received benefits from agents that were impermissible at the time when he was at USC. That led to USC having to vacate its wins from his time at the school and the forfeiture of his Heisman. In 2020, Bush was officially “welcomed back” by the school after an NCAA-imposed 10-year disassociation with the school concluded.
