CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
Watson had to sit out his first Clemson spring game due to injury.

Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen


by - Staff Writer -

Deshaun Watson Deshaun Watson
Fr. Quarterback
#4 6-3, 190
Gainesville, GA

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is different than most freshmen football players.

The Gainesville (GA) native enrolled early in order to get a head start learning the playbook and be a factor in Clemson’s quarterback race.

Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
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spoke to Mickey Plyler Monday morning about Clemson’s spring practice, and said that Watson is just different than almost all of the other freshmen that have come through Clemson.

In fact, Swinney says, Watson is one of the top two or three freshmen he’s seen.

“He’s special. He’s probably – just being around him, watching him this spring and having the first chance to really coach him, watching him absorb, develop, lead, transfer information from the meeting room to the practice field, learn from his mistakes, watching him take mental reps – he is easily and by far one of the top two or three freshmen that I’ve ever been around,” Swinney said. “He’s just a different guy – very mature. His demeanor and his poise really set him apart for a young guy. You don’t see many freshmen rolling in here that have the confidence, knowledge, demeanor, and poise that this guy has. He was very well coached in high school.”

Watson played in a system at Gainesville that is very similar to what offensive coordinator Chad MorrisChad Morris
Offensive Coordinator / QBs
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runs at Clemson and he put up the kind of numbers usually reserved for video games – as a four year starter he set state records for total offense yards (17,134), and total touchdowns (218) while also rushing for 4,057 yards and throwing for 13,077 yards.

Doing all of that in the same kind of system run by Morris is something that Swinney said has helped the 6-3, 190-pound freshman in his transition from high school to college.

“You’ve got to understand that he’s been starting since he was 14 years old,” Swinney said. “I think his first start, he was going against the University of Buford (Buford High School) down there in Georgia, as a 14 year old. What we do – the ball handling, the mesh points, the reads as far as what your eyes are on, the timing of the snap, the movement – that stuff is not easy. It takes a lot of work and tons of reps.

“He’s had great training in high school, has a really good foundation for the little things at the position, like ball handling. He is a smooth operator. It’s natural for him. He’s been doing it a long time. Very impressed with him, but he’s got a long way to go, but he has improved every single day. You can just see his command. He studies. I mean, he is a bookworm when it comes to studying his responsibility in this offense.”

His high school background sets him apart from even the best signal callers in Clemson history.

“It took Tajh [Boyd] a while before he got comfortable with that kind of stuff because it was very different than what he had done,” Swinney said. “He didn’t have the training or the background. But with Deshaun, it’s not even a discussion. He’s been doing it so long that it’s just natural to him. It comes very easy to him so he was able to move on to other things.”

Unfortunately, Watson was sidelined for the final week of spring practice after fracturing his collarbone during a scrimmage. However, Swinney said that Watson’s spring practice overall was a success.

“I’m really proud of what he got done,” Swinney said. “I hate that he got hurt, but really happy that it was right there at the end because he got some great work and got better and better and better everyday. He worked with all three groups and worked well with all three groups. I think he is a young player that has a very, very bright future ahead.”

Swinney then left no doubt that he thinks Watson is special.

“You know he’s going to be special,” Swinney said. “No doubt about it, clearly, he’s got all the qualities you could ever want in a young quarterback in particular. I don’t know that we’ve ever signed a guy with more talent. He is the real deal. He can run, he is big, and he has a chance to develop physically. He has a chance to be a 220-pound type of kid. He has a great foundation with the program he is coming from and the system that they ran. He will represent this program in a great way.”

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Subject (Replies: 43) Author
spacer New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
TigerNet News®
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
CU13®
spacer If, after reading this, you still think there's a chance he
Smiling Tiger®
spacer I think the only way it happens
tiger_thom®
spacer Yes, I meant to say "barring injury".***
Smiling Tiger®
spacer Re: I think the only way it happens
Prime T. Tiger
spacer we can't redshirt him this year with Kelly gone anyway***
camcgee®
spacer sure we can! the key to what Dabo said - could be 220lb!
tigeron®
spacer I was crazy.
ClemsonTiger1988®
spacer We're only going to have him for 3 years anyway.
TigerHawk76®
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
JohnFBell®
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
oldschtiger70
spacer I just hope Morris will be around next yr to call the plays
BentZero
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
Tiger Nana®
spacer Last guy he said this about was Watkins***
camcgee®
spacer Re: Last guy he said this about was Watkins***
JohnFBell®
spacer So Spiller, Watkins, & Watson are the top 3 Fr he's seen?***
BigAl31®
spacer Re: So Spiller, Watkins, & Watson are the top 3 Fr he's seen?***
Purple_Panther
spacer I have not had the pleasure to see Watson in action at CU,
harris
spacer Last QB he said this about was Kyle Parker. I will hold off
morris
spacer Kyle Parker was very good until speared in Auburn game
tigeron®
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
WhstigeR®
spacer He is not healthy or strong enough yet to start against Ga.
tigeron®
spacer Re: He is not healthy or strong enough yet to start against Ga.
WhstigeR®
spacer Well, common sense says they are not going to start injury-
tigeron®
spacer Injury prone?????? He was injured ONE time in his high
Tiger5
spacer However, that one game in H. S. was just a few months ago
tigeron®
spacer Re: However, that one game in H. S. was just a few months ago
tigerbuff
spacer hope that because of injuries at 2 diff. areas, he is NOT
tigeron®
spacer isn't Stoudt listed at 205lbs?
superdawg51
spacer Re: isn't Stoudt listed at 205lbs?
deleted
spacer Re: isn't Stoudt listed at 205lbs?
superdawg51
spacer Re: isn't Stoudt listed at 205lbs?
deleted
spacer Stoudt is closer to 220 now.***
1983Grad
spacer What if............
Mike28712
spacer Re: What if... elephants could fly?***
tigeron®
spacer Got the perfect one-----Watson played for the Gainesville
Tiger5
spacer Definitley a letdown not getting to see him in the Spring
Filo Betto
spacer He is definately a high light film such as Sammy and KJ.***
Tiger5
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
1988NC
spacer Re: New Story: Swinney says Watson among best freshmen he's ever seen
tigerbuff
spacer A 'Sammy Watkins,' under center?
ClemsonTiger1988®
spacer Re: A 'Sammy Watkins,' under center? Not as strong as Sammy
tigeron®