USC surpassed Oklahoma as the college football program to produce the most No. 1 overall draft picks of the common draft era (1967) on Thursday when the Chicago Bears chose former Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams with the first selection of the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams is the sixth USC player to go No. 1 overall and first since quarterback Carson Palmer in 2003. Behind the Trojans and Sooners on the common draft era list for most No. 1 overall picks are Ohio State, Auburn and Stanford with three apiece.
While Williams began his career at Oklahoma, the NCAA counts him exclusively towards USC's tally since he concluded his career with the Trojans. He's not the first high-profile transfer quarterback to be selected No. 1 overall in recent years, either. Joe Burrow, who went No. 1 overall to the Bengals in 2020, counts toward LSU's tally of No. 1 picks even though he began his career at Ohio State.
Notre Dame stood alone atop the list dating pre-common draft era with five No. 1 overall picks for more than three decades, but the Fighting Irish haven't produced a No. 1 pick since Walt Patulski in 1972, which allowed USC, Oklahoma and Georgia to catch up. Now, the Trojans stand alone. The program's other top picks were Palmer (2003), Keyshawn Johnson (1996), Ricky Bell (1977), O.J. Simpson (1969) and Ron Yary (1968).
Williams' selection also saw USC coach Lincoln Riley become the first college coach to produce three No. 1 overall picks in the common draft era.
Oklahoma can still brag
USC's place atop the list may irk Oklahoma fans considering that Williams signed with the Sooners and Riley -- who was Oklahoma's coach from 2017-21 -- as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2021. While the departures of Riley and Williams to USC following Williams' freshman season embittered OU fans, his selection as the No. 1 overall pick still gives the Sooners something to brag about.
During the seven seasons spanning 2015-21, OU's primary starting quarterbacks were Baker Mayfield (2015-17), Kyler Murray (2018), Jalen Hurts (2019), Spencer Rattler (2020) and Williams (2021).
Mayfield (2018), Murray (2019) and Williams (2024) were taken No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, and Hurts is a two-time Pro-Bowl selection. Rattler is also widely expected to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft after transferring to South Carolina, where he started for the past two seasons. Assuming Rattler is indeed taken this weekend, it will mean five straight OU starting quarterbacks have been selected in the NFL Draft.
Dillon Gabriel, who started for the Sooners the past two seasons, is headed to Oregon to use his final season of eligibility. Though undersized, Gabriel could be a 2025 NFL Draft candidate. Oklahoma's projected 2024 starter, Jackson Arnold, is a former five-star propsect who also has long-term NFL upside. If things go smoothly for Gabriel and Arnold, the Sooners could easily extend the streak to seven.
It also wasn't so long ago that the Rams selected former OU quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. Including Williams' stint at Oklahoma and Bradford's selection, it makes four former Oklahoma starting quarterbacks who have been taken No. 1 overall in a 15-year span.
