When it comes to recruiting quarterbacks, USC coach Lincoln Riley can make an easy pitch.
Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and has a chance to win a second one in 2023.
That made Riley the first head coach of three different Heisman Trophy winners – and he's accomplished that in six years. Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) won the Heisman while playing for Riley at Oklahoma. It's an amazing run at the most-glamorous position, and nobody has produced a better college-to-pro quarterback pipeline than Riley in the last six years.
MORE: Pros and cons of each Heisman finalist
Here is a closer look at Riley's quarterback pipeline, from the past, present and future. More Heisman Trophy quarterbacks are on the way:
Lincoln Riley's coaching rise
Riley was a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech in 2003 – and he watched teammate B.J. Symons set a FBS record with 5,833 passing yards the season. That record stood until Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe broke it with 5,967 passing yards last season. Riley was a student assistant under Mike Leach from 2003-05 and stayed with Texas Tech through the 2009 season.
Riley was the offensive coordinator at East Carolina through 2014, and he joined Oklahoma's staff in 2015. The Sooners were coming off an 8-5 season, but the Sooners won 11 games each of the next two seasons. When Bob Stoops retired, Riley was given the job. From there, the quarterback pipeline took off.
Lincoln Riley QBs and Heisman Trophy
Riley has coached four Heisman finalists and two winners in six seasons. Williams would be the third winner if he beats out TCU's Max Duggan, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Georgia's Stetson Bennett this season:
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
2017 Heisman Trophy winner
Mayfield, a Texas Tech transfer, finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2015 and third in 2016 when Riley was the offensive coordinator. In 2017, Mayfield passed for 4,627 yards, 43 TDs and six interceptions – which was good enough to win the Heisman Trophy. The Sooners finished 12-2 and lost in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl in a 54-48 double-overtime thriller against Georgia. The Cleveland Browns selected Mayfield with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
2018 Heisman Trophy winner
Murray, a Texas A&M transfer, sat behind Mayfield for a season. He had a breakout season in 2018 with 4,361 passing yards, 42 TDs and seven interceptions. Murray added 1,001 yards and 12 TDs. He beat out Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa for the Heisman Trophy. The Crimson Tide beat the Sooners 45-34 in the CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals selected Murray with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
2019 Heisman Trophy runner-up
Hurts transferred from Alabama and played for Riley for one season at Oklahoma. Hurt had an outstanding season with 3,851 passing yards, 32 TDs and eight interceptions. He added 1,298 rushing yards and 20 TDs. He finished second in the Heisman voting behind LSU's Joe Burrow, who led the Tigers to a 63-28 victory against Oklahoma in the CFP semifinal.
Caleb Williams, USC
2022 Heisman Trophy winner
Williams, an Oklahoma transfer, arrived at USC shortly after Riley took the job. Together, they helped the Trojans reach the Pac-12 championship game. Williams emerged as one of the most-entertaining playmakers in college football. He passed for 4,537 yards, 42 TDs and five interceptions. He added 382 rushing yards and 10 TDs. The junior is the Heisman favorite heading into 2023.
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Lincoln Riley made Heisman history
Riley is the first head coach to have three quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy. He also is he fourth coach to have three players win the award.
Notre Dame's Frank Leahy and Alabama's Nick Saban have each coached four Heisman winners. Leahy had quarterback Angelo Bertelli (1943), quarterback Johnny Lujack (1947), tight end Leon Hart (1949) and running back Johnny Lattner.
Saban coached running back Mark Ingram (2009), running back Derrick Henry (2015), wide receiver DeVonta Smith (2020) and quarterback Bryce Young (2021).
Army coach Red Blaik had three running backs in the award in Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946) and Pete Dawkins (1958). Former USC coach Pete Carroll had three winners in quarterback Carson Palmer (2002), quarterback Matt Leinart (2004) and running back Reggie Bush (2005), but Bush later vacated the award because of NCAA violations.
Lincoln Riley QBs in the NFL
Mayfield, Murray and Hurts have gone on to varying levels of success in the NFL.
Mayfield played four seasons in Cleveland and led the Browns to the AFC divisional playoffs in the 2020-21 season. He was traded to Carolina in 2022, but he now starts for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Murray won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, and the Cardinals made the NFC playoffs last season. He remains the Cardinals starter but is rehabbing a torn ACL.
Hurts finished second in the NFL MVP voting in 2022 and led the Eagles to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII.
Lincoln Riley's next QB?
Two more star quarterback sis on the way. Five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson flipped from Oklahoma to USC when Riley took the job in 2021.
Nelson (Los Alamitos, Los Alamitos, Calif.) was the No. 5 quarterback in the 2023 class behind Texas commit Arch Manning.
On Monday, USC landed Julian Lewis (Carrollton, Carrollton, Ga.). Lewis is a five-star quarterback and the top player in 247Sports.com's 2026 recruiting rankings.
It's safe to say the Heisman pipeline will be up and running for the next few seasons.
