No one is beating Clemson to the punch on top young quarterbacks.
The Tigers already have offers out to two of the most impressive young quarterbacks in the country.
Deshaun Watson, who registered 4,324 yards and 57 total touchdowns for
Gainesville (Ga.) as a sophomore this season, told MaxPreps that Clemson is one of four early offers he has received.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound dual-threat quarterback also has offers from NC State, Vanderbilt and UCF.
Watson has already visited Clemson, and has also been to Florida, Tennessee and Alabama.
However, it appears that the Tigers have made the strongest impression early.
"Clemson is the leader," Watson told MaxPreps.
He's a shoe-in for the U.S. Air Force Sophomore All-American Team, which will be released next week.
DeAndre Johnson, First Coast
Photo by Gray Quetti
In the class of 2015 ranks, Clemson is already pursuing freshman dynamo
DeAndre Johnson.
Johnson led
First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.) to a 13-1 season, losing only to Manatee in the Class 7A title game.
The 6-1, 175-pound Johnson posted eye-popping numbers as a freshman, completing 141 of 257 passes for 2,706 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Midway through the season,
Clemson made a verbal offer.
"Yea, Clemson offered me," Johnson confirmed.
Johnson also said that Nick Saban has been in touch, and that he's also hearing from Auburn, LSU, Virginia Tech and all the top in-state programs.
While it may seem that Clemson is targeting quarterbacks too early in their development, it's a strategy that seems likely to pay off across the country for USC.
The Trojans, under then-head coach Lane Kiffin,
accepted a verbal commitment from seventh-grader
David Sills in 2010.
Nearly two years later, Sills is already one of the more polished quarterback recruits in the country as a mere freshman, and has the
earmarks of a mega-recruit.
