Jordan Addison, Caleb Williams make the list of 10 best Pac-12 players

It’s preview season. Live college football begins on Aug. 27. For USC, Game 1 is on Sept. 3. The smell of football is in the air.

Who is the best player in the Pac-12 for 2022? You’ll get plenty of debate on that question, in large part because the best player and the most important player aren’t necessarily the same thing. They can be the same, but that’s not automatically true.

Caleb Williams is, one could argue, the most important player in the Pac-12. If he gets injured, USC’s season is essentially over. Cam Rising of Utah is really important to the Utes, but not as important as Caleb Williams is to USC, because Utah has a much better defense than the Trojans.

When we get to the best player discussion, is Caleb Williams the best? He is a projected No. 1 draft pick … but in 2024, not 2023. Can he max out this year, or is he on an evolutionary curve which will lead to a Heisman Trophy-winning season next year?

Think about those questions — and the best player on USC’s roster — as you consider the 10 best players in the Pac-12 for 2022, as presented by Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News.

Each slide below contains Wilner’s written analysis:

10
CALEB WILLIAMS, USC

Jul 29, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams during Pac-12 Media Day at Novo Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

While not the Pac-12’s best pro prospect at the position — that would be Stanford’s Tanner McKee — the Oklahoma transfer is an elite playmaker who should have a major impact. That said, he has only attempted 211 career passes, and many came against third-rate defenses.

9
BRANDON DORLUS, OREGON

Dec 18, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus (97) flushes USC Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) out of the pocket during the first quarter at United…