ESPN ranks Deshaun Watson as one of college football’s top 25 players of the 21st century

There’s no denying what Deshaun Watson did for the Clemson football program and where he stands among the greats of the game at the collegiate level.

Watson was an integral part of Clemson winning 2016 National Championship as the Tigers best player, a Heisman candidate, All-American and overall superstar. In the history of Clemson football, there are few if any more important than Watson to the program’s success.

Recently, ESPN named the Top 25 college football players of the 21st century, with Watson making the cut. The former Tiger landed at No. 16 overall.

Under Dabo Swinney, Clemson was an intriguing but frustrating program when Watson showed up on campus. It was a national powerhouse, Alabama’s equal, when Watson left. He tantalized as a freshman before tearing his ACL, but in his final two seasons the Tigers went 28-2, losing a down-to-the-wire classic against Bama in the 2015 national title game, then winning one in 2016. He threw for 8,697 yards and 76 touchdowns in those two seasons and, despite the knee issues, rushed for 1,734 yards and 21 scores in that span as well. He was the first guy to combine 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season, and the final pass of his career was a title-winning touchdown. Hard to top that.

Watson had that it factor that you see in few collegiate athletes and was as clutch as they come. He and Dabo Swinney did wonders for this program and the fans.

Another Clemson star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, landed on the first ten out, which weren’t ranked in order. If Lawrence were to have won a second National Championship when they faced LSU in 2020, I have no doubts he would have ranked No. 1 overall.