Oklahoma's Caleb Williams entering transfer portal

Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams is entering the transfer portal, he announced Monday on social media.

Williams said he's still considering staying with the Sooners, but he wants to hear offers from other schools.

"We all come to college to find our own path and prepare for the future," Williams said. "I came to Oklahoma with a game plan, but with all of the recent changes, I need to figure out what is the right path for me moving forward."

He added, "According to NCAA rules, as a student-athlete, the only way I can speak with other schools and see who may offer the best preparation and development for my future career is by entering the portal."

Williams' father, Carl, said his son "doesn't have a destination" in mind and that preparing for the NFL draft will be a crucial factor in the 20-year-old's decision.

"We want Caleb to be ready to play when he becomes a pro," Carl said, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. "You go to college to get prepared for your career. His chosen career path is professional football. We want him to be prepared for when that time comes."

Williams, a former five-star recruit, instantly becomes the best player available in the transfer portal. He shined under center for Oklahoma as a freshman in 2021 after taking over the starting role from Spencer Rattler with the season underway. Williams completed 64.6% of his passes for 21 touchdowns against four interceptions over 11 games (seven starts). He also added 442 yards and six scores on the ground.

Rattler, who began the 2021 season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, left Oklahoma after transferring to South Carolina in December.

The Sooners recently hired former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as its head coach to replace Lincoln Riley, who left for the same job at USC in November.

"While we believe OU provides Caleb the best opportunity to develop as a player and realize his goals for college and beyond, we respect his right to explore his options following key staffing changes here," Oklahoma said in a statement.