Did BC Head Coach Compare His QB to Deshaun Watson?

CHARLOTTE — From 2017 to 2020, Bill O’Brien coached former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson when he was the head coach of the Houston Texans.

During Wednesday’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, the new Boston College head coach was asked how he plans to use BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos and will be similar to how he used Watson in the running game.

“Look, one of the things about Tommy, he’s not just a runner. He’s a guy that has really improved a lot in the six months that we’ve been around him as a passer,” O’Brien said. “This is something that we’ve worked very hard on with him. He’s worked extremely hard to get better. Look, we’re never going to try to rein in Tommy. Tommy brings a lot to our offense. He’s a dynamic player, a guy that can make a lot of off-schedule plays.

“Some of the guys I’ve had in the past, Deshaun Watson, guys that could run a little bit. At Georgia Tech we had a guy named Joe Hamilton, guys that had the combination of being able to run and throw the ball effectively. That’s what Tommy does. I don’t want to put any labels on him. He’s a quarterback. He’s a really good quarterback. He’s our quarterback. We’re really excited to start training camp and continue to improve.”