“I Was Dating This Other Girl”: Caleb Williams Reflects on “Vibing” With Painting His Nails

Caleb Williams’ painted nails gained a lot of traction when fans first started noticing them. There was a whole lot of fuss about the then-college QB having colored nails. While fans were seeing something new, it wasn’t something new for Williams. He has been painting his nails since his junior year of high school.

During a conversation with the St.Brown brothers on their podcast, Caleb Williams revealed that it was his mother who first introduced him to accessorizing his nails. As a nail technician, she often did other people’s nails when he was younger, making him familiar with nail care from an early age.

However, he didn’t start getting his nails done himself until junior high, when he accompanied a girl he was dating to a nail salon. He enjoyed the experience, and from that moment, it became part of his routine.

“My mom actually did nails when I was younger like she would do other people’s nails at the house. I’d see it but I wasn’t getting my nails done then. Then I grew up and I was dating this other girl and went to the nail salon and got my nails done. I was like I kind of vibe with this. It kind of became my thing.”

Caleb Williams’ distinctive nail art didn’t capture widespread media attention until his second year of college.

During the season, he paints and accessorizes his nails, limiting the practice to football months to avoid running out of creative ideas.

For Williams, his nails are a statement, and he takes pride in making them look their best—authentic, eye-catching, and memorable. He ensures the messages and designs are catchy and appealing, complementing his meticulous care routine, which includes regular manicures and pedicures. Interestingly, his love for nail care predates his interest in painting them.

His passion for nail art began with a single painted nail and gradually expanded from there, as he enjoyed experimenting with new designs. However, the USC alum chose not to paint his nails for every game this year due to the team’s struggles and consistent losses, opting to avoid drawing additional negative attention.

“This year I didn’t do every game. I was trying to still deal with the schedule and all of that. I chilled out when we started losing. I was like, I probably don’t want to do this right now plus it takes time,” he explained.

Williams also acknowledged that conditioning and treatment demands consumed much of his time, creating scheduling challenges that made it difficult to prioritize nail art during the season. Looking ahead, he’s already planning his designs for next year, now that he’s familiar with how to manage his schedule more effectively.