NFL Draft 2024: Analyst explains racist 'Cam Newton treatment' Caleb Williams will receive

Trojans Wire's Matt Zemek explained what the "Cam Newton treatment" is about to look like for top 2024 NFL draft prospect Caleb Williams in response to a piece from USA TODAY Sports' Mike Freeman on the issue.

"What does the Cam Newton treatment look like in real life? Comments on appearance, mannerisms, and other non-football elements receive undue scrutiny and disapproval," Zemek wrote. "For Caleb, painting his fingernails — while not something many of us would do — has still received far more attention than it should. Sitting on the USC bench has been perceived as being a bad teammate. Hyperanalysis and obsessive microanalysis represent the kind of scrutiny Black quarterbacks receive which is not on par with what white peers get.'

Zemek called out ESPN's Merril Hoge, who went viral for his harsh assessment of Williams, for the "Cam Newton treatment." Hoge implied that Williams had clean pockets aplenty.

“First of all, his ability to throw on the run is very disturbing. It is very inaccurate and it’s all over the place. There’s a ton of RPO (run pass option), which nobody is going to RPO themselves to a Super Bowl in our league. … You gotta push the ball down the field. There are times when he does that. He doesn’t play with a lot of anticipation because of all the clean pockets that exist for him.

Zemek questioned what clean pockets Hoge was speaking of.

"Wait a minute," Zemek prefaced before saying, "There is plenty from 2023 one can legitimately critique about Caleb Williams. We’re not upset with Hoge based on the fact that he criticized Caleb. However, when Hoge refers to “all of the clean pockets that exist for him,” was he watching 2023 USC football film?"

Cam Newton had credentials unfairly questioned after Brock Purdy criticism

Perhaps the "Cam Newton treatment" isn't something that'll stop for Superman after he announced his retirement.

Since revealing that his cleats have been hung up since the 2021 season, Newton proclaimed that he wanted to become a prominent podcaster -- but not long after, his credentials were questioned by ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith.

Calling Brock Purdy a "game-manager" is what drew Newton the heat from Stephen A., and it's not fair to say that the former Heisman winner at Auburn was exonerated by the San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl LVIII loss.

But Smith trying to take shots at the platform Newton is trying to build is disappointing. At least he apologized.