USC's Caleb Williams captures Heisman Trophy ahead of three fellow quarterbacks

Caleb Williams ran through the middle for a 5-yard touchdown — and then it happened.

He headed back to the USC sideline and struck the pose — arm extended, knee up.

The Heisman pose.

“It was very spontaneous, striking the pose in the Notre Dame game,” Williams said Friday, recalling Nov. 26 at the L.A. Coliseum. “You can tell, my teammates were all surrounding me. They were telling me to do it throughout the game.”

The sophomore quarterback from Washington, D.C., was hoping to receive the trophy with the bronzed figure that is perpetually striking the pose. This was his dream since he was young. Williams was the favorite, and the favorite won the Heisman Saturday night at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan.

“I used to write down my goals in a journal, and what used to be just words on a piece of paper has me standing here today,” he said at the end of his speech. “So, everyone, dreams really do come true.”

Williams, who’s bound for the Cotton Bowl with his 11-2 team, not the College Football Playoff, received 544 first-place votes and 2,031 total points. TCU’s Max Duggan was the runner-up among the all-QB final four with 1,420 points. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud was a distant third and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett finished fourth.

“I may be standing up here today,” Williams said, addressing his fellow finalists, “but you all get to go to the College Football Playoffs. Guess you can’t win ’em all.”

The winner drew laughs. He has personality.

The passing stats for the 6-1, 215-pound Williams include 4,075 yards, 37 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has run for 372 yards and 10 TDs. “He makes plays that aren’t supposed to happen,” Stroud said.

Williams’ speech was filled with thank yous and inspirational messages to young players facing adversity. At one point, he asked his offensive linemen to stand up and named all eight. He later said he wasn’t coming without them. Williams thanked them on stage and called the Heisman “our accomplishment.”

Williams started the final seven games under Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma last season, then materialized at USC via the transfer portal, following his coach there. Riley has developed three Heisman winners in six years, as Williams joined Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.

Riley praised Williams’ skills and “his fearlessness at a young age.”

“To me,” Riley said, “he’s still a pup.”