Clemson freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson is taking over, in case you haven't heard.
And on Monday, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney stamped his approval on Watson's readiness with what Clemson fans will consider permanent ink -- by invoking Sammy Watkins' name.
"I've never had a freshman like Deshaun Watson. Sammy Watkins included," Swinney said, according to Andrew Brenner, who covers the Tigers for postandcourier.com.
Watkins, of course, was the No. 4 overall pick of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills, who traded up to acquire him. Watkins has needed just two NFL games to post his first 100-yard performance. But to appreciate Swinney's remark, one must recall just how good Watkins was at the same stage in Watson's career -- as a freshman in 2011. Perhaps Swinney forgets, Watkins was named the National Freshman of the Year and became the fourth freshman in NCAA history to be named a first-team Associated Press All-American. The damage: 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus another 231 rushing and 826 return yards.
This is the company Swinney put Watson in on Monday -- not so much from a talent and production standpoint, though Watson is proving to be prolific early in the season -- but more from his ability to handle the challenges of the college game as a freshman.
"We've never had a freshman like Deshaun Watson. To see how he's absorbed what we do is amazing. Very little transition for him," Swinney added, according to Clemson's official Twitter feed.
The move relegates fifth-year senior Cole Stoudt to a backup role once again, a role he got used to while waiting his turn behind three-year starter Tajh Boyd from 2011-2013. But if Swinney is right about the kind of future Watson has as a college quarterback, Stoudt won't be the only backup holding a clipboard at Clemson.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
