Two Young College Quarterbacks Worked Out With Deshaun Watson Last Week
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 35-31 to win the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Before his promising, injury-shortened rookie year for the Houston Texans, Deshaun Watson became a college legend at Clemson. Last week, a trio of promising young college quarterback had the chance to work out with the national champion.
Watson was working out with famed quarterback coach Quincy Avery, who has done work with well over 100 college and pro QBs. Avery took the opportunity to invite three of the current college players he is mentoring: Georgia freshman Justin Fields, Florida freshman Emory Jones, and Ohio State redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins.
Unfortunately for the young Gator, he wasn't able to attend. Haskins and Fields made it, however.
The group worked out in Atlanta. Watson channeled his inner-Jim Harbaugh, rocking an old school Allen Iverson jersey for the occasion.
Avery is incredibly impressed with both young throwers, but stopped short of comparing either to Watson. He spoke to Rivals about Fields' development:
Fields has been compared to Watson—a comparison Avery finds difficult to make, even in recalling when the latter just came out of Gainesville (Ga.) High School and was entering Clemson as a freshman.
“They’re both tremendously skilled—that’s obvious,” Avery said. “But I wouldn’t compare the two as quarterbacks. I wouldn’t even say they remind me of one another. They’re just on completely different levels.”
Cleveland.com spoke to Avery about Haskins, who has been pegged as the starter for Ohio State. He thinks Haskins is bigger than Watson was at the same stage in his development, and throws "a different type of ball" than the Texans star.
Dwayne Haskins is set to start this season, while Justin Fields may have to wait his turn a bit, like Deshaun Watson did.
Georgia just had a five-star quarterback supplant one the class ahead of him, with Jake Fromm taking over the job from Jacob Eason, who went down with an injury in Week 1 of the 2017 season. Georgia went on to appear in a national championship, and Eason transferred to Washington.
It seems unlikely that Fields can do the same thing this season, barring an injury to Fromm, but Avery does say that he does some things at quarterback that "no one else can." More likely, he will have a freshman season comparable to Watson's, where he doesn't win the job outright, but is too talented to completely keep off the field.
[Rivals]
