William Watson III
 | A request that this article title be changed to Pop Watson is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
| No. 5 – UMass Minutemen | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 8, 2004 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Springfield Central (Springfield) |
| College |
|
| Stats at ESPN | |
William "Pop" Waverly Watson III (born June 8, 2004) is an American college football quarterback for the UMass Minutemen. He previously played for the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Early life
[edit]Watson was born on June 8, 2004, and attended Springfield Central High School in Springfield, Massachusetts. He led them to two Massachusetts Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Division I state championships at quarterback.[1] Watson was named the 2022 Massachusetts Gatorade Football Player of the Year.[2]
College career
[edit]Virginia Tech
[edit]In 2023, as a freshman, he appeared in two games where he rushed for 40 yards.[1] He was briefly suspended from the team for reportedly missing curfew.[3] The following year, Watson played in five games, starting two, completing 34 of 58 passes (58.6%) for 481 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 19 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown.[1][4] In 2025, he appeared in four games, completing two of four passes for 77 yards and had nine rushes for 22 yards and a touchdown.[1] On December 26, 2025, Watson entered the transfer portal.[5]
UMass
[edit]On January 11, 2026, Watson committed to UMass.[6] Watson began the 2026 season as a starting quarterback for the first time in his career.[7] In the season opener against Big Ten opponent Rutgers, he completed 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns, leading UMass to a 37–21 victory.[8] The win snapped the Minutemen's 16-game losing streak and gave them their first victory over an FBS opponent since defeating Army in 2023.[9] UMass entered the game as a 29.5-point underdog.[10]
Career statistics
[edit]College
[edit]| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | TD | ||
| 2023 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 40 | 8.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | 5 | 2 | 1–1 | 34 | 58 | 58.6 | 481 | 8.3 | 1 | 2 | 127.1 | 40 | 19 | 0.5 | 1 |
| 2025 | Virginia Tech | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 77 | 19.3 | 0 | 0 | 211.7 | 9 | 22 | 2.4 | 1 |
| 2026 | UMass | 1 | 1 | 1–0 | 19 | 22 | 86.4 | 197 | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 206.6 | 6 | 40 | 6.7 | 0 |
| Career | 12 | 3 | 2–1 | 55 | 85 | 64.7 | 755 | 8.9 | 4 | 2 | 150.1 | 60 | 121 | 2.0 | 2 | |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "William "Pop" Watson III - Football 2025 - Virginia Tech Athletics". hokiesports.com. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ Sottile, Matt; Trowbridge, Ryan (March 8, 2023). "Banner unveiled to mark Springfield Central football player's national award". Westernmassnews.com. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ Nutter, Gage (September 25, 2023). "Virginia Tech QB Pop Watson suspension lifted, returns to team activities". Masslive. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ Hughes, Thomas (August 11, 2025). "William "Pop" Watson III: The Rising Signal-Caller Enters Year 3 with Virginia Tech Football". Virginia Tech Hokies On SI. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ Hughes, Thomas (December 26, 2025). "Virginia Tech QB William "Pop" Watson III Entering Transfer Portal". Virginia Tech Hokies On SI. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ Lajoie, Jeff (January 12, 2026). "Former Springfield Central star QB Pop Watson transferring to UMass". Masslive. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Former Virginia Tech QB Pop Watson leads new team to shocking upset". Yahoo Sports. September 4, 2026. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ "UMass ends 16-game losing streak with 37-21 win at Rutgers". ESPN. September 4, 2026. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ Dillon, Kevin (September 3, 2026). "UMass football finally wins a game: Minutemen crush Rutgers in season opener for first FBS victory since 2023". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ Gharib, Anthony (September 4, 2026). "All the numbers behind UMass' wild Week 1 upset of Rutgers". ESPN. Retrieved September 4, 2026.