Whoever said that you can’t go home again clearly never followed professional sports, as each year, handfuls of athletes return to their roots to play for their hometown teams.
For former USC Trojans superstar and potential No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, that hometown draw would take him 10.2 miles from the fields he made his name on in the Washington D.C. high school football circuit. That's if the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner finds his way to the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL Draft. Such an outcome would require the Chicago Bears to pass on Williams’ prodigal talents, which is no sure thing.
Still, should Commanders’ GM Adam Peters gather the draft stock needed, there’s no guarantee that the Bears will pass up a second straight opportunity to gain a heaping helping of draft picks come this year’s draft. The Bears have this year's No. 1 pick after sending last year's selection to the Carolina Panthers, who drafted QB Bryce Young.
With all that being said, BetCalifornia.com has the latest odds on where Williams will suit up next, with the 22-year-old D.C. native bound to hear his name called first in this year’s draft.
These odds are for entertainment purposes only, as California sports betting is not yet a reality.
Now that the Commanders have hired Williams’ confidante Kliff Kingsbury as their next offensive coordinator, it’s worth wondering whether first-year head coach Dan Quinn and Peters will want to make a big move to get that No. 1 pick. Given the hometown appeal of landing the former Gonzaga Prep star, it’s not without merit to wonder whether the Commanders will do whatever it takes to get their hands on the consensus top prospect.
Although there isn't a FanDuel sportsbook in California, oddsmakers at FanDuel nationally, for instance, give Williams -1200 odds of being the top pick, putting him well above the next closest prospect (UNC QB Drake Maye, at +700).
For reference, the Panthers traded Chicago their 2023 first and second-round selections, on top of their 2024 first-round pick (which wound up being the top selection) and a 2025 second-round pick to land Young — which would be a steep price to pay for a pair of newcomers, in Quinn and Peters.
Still, given Williams’ prodigious talents at the game’s most valuable position and his roots in the Nation’s Capital, it might be worth it for Washington to do whatever it takes to bring the Gonzaga Prep alum home in 2024.
Keep visiting BetCalifornia.com for the latest updates on the potential for legalizing sports betting in the Golden State, as well as expert analysis regarding the state’s top teams and athletes, like the 49ers Super Bowl odds.
Author
Christopher Boan is the lead writer at BetCalifornia.com, specializing in sports betting issues in the western United States. He's covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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