AMHERST — Highly anticipated transfer quarterback William “Pop” Watson met with the media after the UMass football team’s spring practice on Thursday morning, his first time since returning home after three seasons at Virginia Tech.
The Springfield native decided to return to the Pioneer Valley back in January, and has been present at practices since the beginning of the spring.
Despite some competition in the quarterback room, Watson has been doing his best to stand out throughout the offseason. His return to Massachusetts comes with a certain set of expectations, which he assures is not an issue.
“I’m a guy who loves pressure, so when people try to put more things on me, I feel like it just makes me be better,” Watson said. “I look for more pressure. I look for the harder things, the harder work. And that’s kind of who I’ve been as a person growing up, still to this day.”
Even growing up down the road from Amherst, the adjustment to a new school and football program took time for Watson. Acclimating began in the weight room, meeting all of the new faces and building relationships with the teammates he’ll be suiting up with.
Watson has now taken on a leadership role early in his tenure with the Minutemen, helping bridge the gap between new players and returners.
Along the way, the redshirt junior has been sure to hold his new teammates accountable. Whether during practice or off the field, Watson is doing everything a starting quarterback should do, despite the QB1 job still technically being up in the air.
“The only thing I want to see is effort,” Watson said. “If you pull the wrong way, you better pull the wrong way and knock somebody’s head off. That’s all I want to see. I’m not always [going to] make the right read. Coach isn’t always [going to] call the right call. But if the effort’s there, we can work with you.”
Around the same time Watson decided to come to Amherst, new offensive coordinator Max Warner was brought in to oversee the offense. The duo has been learning about each other over the course of the spring, growing their relationship by the day.
Offseason practices can be hard to gauge compared to full-speed reps on game day, but the pair seems to be clicking well, finding a rhythm and understanding of what will give the team the most success.
“Coach Warner is probably the perfect coach for me,” Watson said. “He never tells you when you’re doing right, only when you’re doing wrong. I feel like that pushes you to be perfect. If you’re reaching perfection, the worst thing you can get out of perfection is greatness.”
Watson made it clear that team success is his goal for the upcoming season, but after three years of limited playing time at the collegiate level, the opportunity to learn with in-game reps is an added bonus.
The young signal caller is still looking to improve as a player, with a few key skills like footwork and using his eyes taking priority so far. Putting in the work alongside Warner has helped Watson’s confidence grow over the last few months, as he continues to pursue his dreams.
“I feel like Coach Warner helped me elevate my game,” Watson said. “I felt like I was a good quarterback coming in, but that’s obviously my perception. He tweaked a lot of things, and I feel like he’s getting me right. He’s getting me NFL-ready.”
With three weeks of spring ball left before April 25’s spring game, Watson and the Minutemen will continue working to improve as a team.
After last year’s struggles within the program, UMass knew change was needed, and it’s hoping that Watson can be a big reason for a bounce-back season this fall.
“I feel like we’ve got all the pieces we need to be a successful team,” Watson said. “Now it’s just about putting all the pieces together and just getting better every day, step by step.”
