Nebraska QB commit Watson playing role as recruiter

Nebraska quarterback commitment William Watson was a bit of a celebrity while in Lincoln for the spring game.

Watson was seen taking pictures with fans and signing autographs. Watson was also seen rubbing elbows with the other recruits and he knows that he has to play a role in getting other recruits to follow him to Lincoln.

“I just wanted to see how the quarterbacks executed in a new offense because I know that they brought in some transfer guys,” Watson said. “I also wanted to see what new recruits were there. I saw all of the Georgia kids. They had some offensive linemen there. I was talking to all of them. Oh yeah, I was on everybody.”

Watson watched the spring game and had his own impressions. He thought he saw a very small slice of the playbook being called on Saturday and also noticed the offensive coordinator wasn’t calling the plays.

“I think that they were playing like they didn’t want to show too much. Honestly, it looked like they rotated like five or six plays and I saw that coach Whipple wasn’t calling the plays. I think that the quarterbacks will be just fine once they can learn the offense.”

Nebraska brought three new quarterbacks into the quarterback room in January and Watson will join them in this coming January. He’s had plenty of conversation around why coach Whipple wants Watson in his quarterback’s room.

“He believes that I can make the plays that he needs,” Watson said. “He told me that I have the arm talent. He likes my ability to stretch plays out and I can run, like the read-option, so I think that check all of the boxes that he is looking for.”

Watson had a conversation with coach Whipple about the changes that will take place in the offense since he left Pitt to come to Nebraska.

“He said it’s going to be the exact same offense. The verbiage is different and they had to change some things around with the formations, but it will be the exact same plays and the exact same concepts. He wants to air it out.”

Watson was working the recruits in Lincoln last weekend. He knows that he needs to play the role of recruiting coordinator to get other recruits to join him in the recruiting class.

“Oh yeah, most definitely. I knew that once I committed that I would need to take on that role. Both my father and coach Whipple told me that I have that type of pull on people and I can convince people. I think that Nebraska has all of the things that you need and all you need to do it ball out.”

The spring game environment was something that Watson was preparing himself for but it still shocked him. He is having to adjust to his new found stardom that comes with being a Nebraska football player when he’s in Lincoln.

“Even though I was anticipating it seeing it was kind of crazy,” Watson said. “I had been told that they sell out every week. Seeing that many people at the spring game, having people ask for my signature and get their picture taken with them is going to take some getting used to.”

Watson has his official visit planned for the month of June so he can actually participate in a camp. He’s not participating for his sake. He wants to help workout the other players that are at the camp so Nebraska can better assessment of them.

“I am going to do my official visit in June and then I am going to try and get back out for a game in the fall,” Watson said. “I am going to try and do the June 17th camp at Nebraska during my visit. I am going to work out. I am not just going to sit around. I want to work out the other guys and see what coach Whipple and coach Joseph thinks about them.”