Caleb Williams hype train reaches warp speed as Commanders hire Kliff Kingsbury

Kliff Kingsbury is the new Washington Commanders offensive coordinator and the Caleb Williams hype train has reached warp speed as a result.

After a thorough yet rapid search, the Washington Commanders have found their new offensive coordinator. A development that sent the rumor mill flying and speculation through the roof along the way.

Kliff Kingsbury is the man chosen to lead Washington's offense under new head coach Dan Quinn. He's got a good schematic eye and is a previous head coach at the college and NFL levels. Perhaps more significantly, he spent last season as a senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach with the USC Trojans.

For those who've been living under a rock, that's where quarterback Caleb Williams plied his trade. He just so happens to be the projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in an area of significant need for the Commanders.

Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury and Caleb Williams are closely linked

Without knowing it, Williams helped fan the flames. It was nothing more than a congratulatory message on his Instagram in Kingsbury's direction, but it only lent more weight to those who believe this was part of a grander plan.

The Commanders drafting Williams would be a fairytale for all involved. He hails from the DC area. He was a quarterback star at Gonzaga High School. He is a lifelong Washington fan and - just like the rest of us - expressed his delight on social media when Dan Snyder sold the franchise to Josh Harris' ownership group.

Sam Howell's regression over the second half of 2023 indicates the Commanders will take a promising signal-caller at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Almost no analyst believes Williams will make it to the second spot. Almost every projection has him going No. 1 to the Chicago Bears, who have some tricky waters to navigate before the big night.

The Bears spurned the chance to take Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, or Anthony Richardson in 2023. They accepted a bombshell trade offer from the Carolina Panthers to move down the pecking order. As it turned out, this move also gave them the top pick this year.

Things are less clear-cut this time around. Justin Fields displayed encouraging growth this season. He also needs to be paid either this offseason or next. That puts general manager Ryan Poles in something of a predicament.

If he isn't 100 percent convinced with Fields - which is entirely possible - then a situation could emerge where they trade the former Ohio State star and select Williams from atop the draft. And make no mistake, there would be plenty of suitors.

Should Poles opt to move forward with Fields, then it's a case of either trading out of the pick or taking someone like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Joe Alt. After all, Chicago's primary objective in this scenario would be to surround its signal-caller with everything needed to take the next step.

The Commanders should be at the front of the queue if Chicago started taking calls. Kingsbury's presence would enable a smooth transition for Williams within a scheme he knows well. However, it's also worth pointing out that North Carolina prospect Drake Maye also has experience within an Air-Raid style offense similar to what Washington's new play-caller deploys.

There's also the chance Williams informs the Bears that he wants to go to the Commanders and will make it difficult if they choose him. But that's a story for another day.

A lot of moving parts to this one. Watch this space…