5-star quarterback Caleb Williams commits to Oklahoma

The race for one of the top Class of 2021 prospects in the nation is over, as Washington, D.C. five-star quarterback Caleb Williams has committed to Oklahoma.

Williams is ranked as the No. 4 player and No. 1 quarterback in the country. according to the 247 Sports Composite. He also stands as the No. 102 recruit of all-time with a composite score of 0.9974.

The Gonzaga College High School product has thrown for over 1,200 yards in each of his three high school seasons, including tallying 1,770 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions as a junior in 2019.

Williams is the true definition of a dual-threat talent, as he added 838 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground as a junior. His ability to make big plays with his arm and legs makes him a tough player to beat and has landed him as quarterback of the Washington Post All-Met First Team as a sophomore and junior.

The recruiting process for Williams started early, with an unofficial visit to Maryland in the summer of 2017 and the Terps becoming his first offer in December just after his sophomore season.

Things picked up in 2020 for Williams and his family as they worked to cut down his list of potential suitors. His top-five in March had Clemson, LSU, Maryland, Penn State and Oklahoma remaining, and a top-three in May pitted Maryland against LSU and Oklahoma down the final stretch.

Williams and his family were able to visit Oklahoma right before the coronavirus pandemic shut down in-person contact, giving the Sooners the final in-person visit of his recruitment. Maryland, however, was given the final word as Williams and his family sat down with Locksley and his staff on Zoom last Saturday.

Despite the Terps falling short, the future at the quarterback position still looks bright in College Park. Incoming transfer Taulia Tagovailoa from Alabama and redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre will each have at least two years of eligibility in 2021 (three if Tagovailoa doesn’t get a waiver in 2020).

Locksley and his staff will still look to add a scholarship quarterback to the fold, and the main target is three-star California product Brayden Zermeno who holds offers from the Terps and a handful of Ivy League schools. With Williams likely off the board, look for more offers to be handed out as Maryland could look to pull off similar late magic as it did to bring in LeGendre in 2019.

Maryland’s haul of 2021 commitments includes 16 players, ranking at No. 16 in the nation and No. 5 in the Big Ten. Of the 16 commitments, 14 have come from players hailing from the DMV area — keeping the area movement strong.