Springfield Central junior quarterback William Watson III announced on Tuesday night that he was committing to the University of Nebraska to play college football.
Watson, one of the top players in the state in the Class of 2023 held 11 offers including offers from Boston College, UConn and UMass. So why did he pick Nebraska? Simple. It was the right fit. Nebraska offered everything William and his family were looking for and more. It also helped that offensive coordinator Mark Whipple was on staff.
I spoke with William’s dad, Springfield Central coach Bill Watson. I wanted to know why his son picked Nebraska. Needless to say, Coach Watson went into great detail as to why his son ultimately picked the Cornhuskers.
“There were several reasons to pick Nebraska. First there is a great commitment from the university to be great. You can see that through the facilities being built and the community support. Second I like the coaching staff. Yes Whipple is the person that attracted us to Nebraska but the quality of people on the staff sealed the deal. We were probably one of the last people to leave on junior day and we had a good chance to talk to many on the staff about life and football etc.”
Watson added: “I also listened to how they interacted with each other and I got the sense that they were all on the same page and just genuinely good people.”
Coach Watson believes that the Nebraska football program is on its way back and that was something else that appealed to his son.
“Nebraska is a sleeping giant. They can still attract top of the line athletes and surround a quarterback with elite level talent to be successful. Offensive line, wide receivers, running backs, you name it. Nebraska can get in the living room with the best in the country so if the team comes together with the right mind set and works hard anything is possible. The opportunity to be part of that resurgence is a great opportunity.”
The family’s relationship with the aforementioned Mark Whipple was also a major factor in William picking Nebraska. There is a sense of trust between the family and Whipple. Whipple’s reputation as a quarterback developer also made Nebraska more appealing but in the end, Coach Watson felt entrusting his son to Whipple and the staff brought him a sense of security.
“Whipple played a humongous role in William coming to Nebraska. There is trust already established. We know that Whipple is a man of his word and for me that is a tremendous attribute. Especially when you are sending your son away and all you really will have is coaches word to fall back on because I won’t be present in the physical. It’s comforting to know that the person on the other line speaks the truth when he speaks to you.”
Coach Watson also reiterated that Whipple’s reputation as a quarterback ‘s coach and play caller factored into the decision as well.
“As far as football goes yes Whipple resume speaks for itself and his ability to develop the quarterback position is second to none. He also has a great ability to effectively game plan and out scheme teams. I have seen his teams be out manned and still score 30+ points on teams when it looked like they had no business on the field with the other team. So I expect to see Nebraska put up a lot of points because they should never be out manned in that fashion.”
Fitting in and playing for Whipple aside, perhaps the biggest reason William picked Nebraska according to the elder Watson was the opportunity to be a part of the turnaround of the once storied program. Nebraska has a rich history of success and is looking to get back to a place of prominence nationally. He hopes his son has an opportunity to quarterback that turnaround.
“I think the opportunity to be part of the turnaround is the biggest factor.” Watson added: “Didn’t really put much thought in about the depth chart because with the transfer portal being such a big deal now the depth chart can change in a second. You just have to beat out whoever is in the room. He is a fierce competitor and I am confident once he gets to Nebraska and begins working he will make it tough to keep him off the field.”
Despite that, Coach Watson knows his son is always going to have to compete in order to start.
“There will always be great talent in the quarterback room that he will have to compete against in order to get the keys to that program. That’s what is going to make him be the best [QB] he can be. That is what I am looking forward to and I am excited to see unfold.”
A sense of family, comfort and belonging have led William Watson to Nebraska. Now he gets to be a part of a class that is tasked with helping turn around a once proud program that has fallen on hard times but ready to be great again.