William Watson III

Senior quarterback for Massachusetts. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.

QB · Massachusetts · Sr. · #5

6′0″ · 210 lb · Springfield, MA

Watch-list name (model)Transferred Virginia Tech → Massachusetts for 2026

Next upSat Sep 19 · 3:30 pm ETvs StonehillWarren McGuirk Alumni Stadium

How he plays

Yards / att: 100th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

349

passing yards · 2026

4 TD · 0 INT · 10.9 per attempt

2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 197 pass yds, 3 TD, 40 rush yds, at Rutgers

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 quarterback for Massachusetts. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Virginia Tech in 2023.
Transferred from Virginia Tech to Massachusetts in 2026.

His career, year by year

William Watson III

QB · Massachusetts · Sr · #5

William Watson III has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. The receipt on tape: 197 pass yds, 40 rush yds against Rutgers, Week 1, 2026.

349 PASS YDS · 4 PASS TD · 80 RUSH YDS

Low coverage — composed from the verified record.

season totals
head-coach lineage
game log

2026 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2023Virginia Tech7-6HC: Brent Pry · Run-leaning

2024Virginia Tech6-7HC: Brent Pry · Run-leaning

2025Virginia Tech3-9HC: Brent Pry · Run-leaning

2026Massachusetts2-0HC: Joe Harasymiak · Run-heavy, slow tempo

Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort

Box-score percentiles

7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: yards / att (100th percentile). Strength: completion % (100th percentile). Concern: pass yards (0th percentile).

Box-score rates (7)

Yards / att#1 / 13 · 100th pct

10.9

Completion %#1 / 13 · 100th pct

87.5%

Interceptions#1 / 13 · 92nd pct

Rush yards#4 / 13 · 77th pct

Rush TDs#3 / 13 · 62nd pct

Pass TDs#6 / 13 · 58th pct

Pass yards#14 / 13 · 0th pct

349

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits

Per-game splits

Through 2 games: 174 YDS/g, 2.0 TD/g, 12.1 YPA, 0.0 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Joe Harasymiak

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2026

Watch-list name (model)

Our Heisman model has him inside the top 25; he is not on a published award watch list yet.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2026	Massachusetts	28	32	87.5%	349	10.9	4	0	220.4	--	--	--
2025	Virginia Tech	2	4	50.0%	77	19.2	0	0	211.7	--	--	--
2024	Virginia Tech	34	58	58.6%	481	8.3	1	2	127.1	46	--	--
2023	Virginia Tech	--	1	0.0%	--	0.0	0	0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		64	95	67.4%	907	9.5	5	2	160.7	46	--	--

Season	Team
2026	Massachusetts	10	80	8.0	1	--
2025	Virginia Tech	9	22	2.4	1	--
2024	Virginia Tech	40	19	0.5	1	--
2023	Virginia Tech	5	40	8.0	0	--
Career		64	161	2.5	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026

W 37–10

vs Sacred Heart

152 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 94.4 · 40 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD

Dominant 27-point win at home against Sacred Heart.

With T. Harding — 1 rec · 49 yds · 1 TD · E. Phillipson — 45 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 51 LONG

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 2 · Sacred Heart · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +3.76(14:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete deep middle to #2 T.Harding caught at SHU01, for 49 yards to the SHU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 14:16, 1ST DOWN #99 D.Morris kick attempt good (H: #43 E.Phillipson, LS: #51 G.Mills)
Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&5 · Q2 · EPA +2.93(09:44) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete deep left to #1 J.Griffin Jr. caught at RU00, for 31 yards to the RU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 09:43, 1ST DOWN #99 D.Morris kick attempt good (H: #43 E.Phillipson, LS: #51 G.Mills)
Week 2 · Sacred Heart · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +2.90No Huddle-Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete deep left to #1 J.Griffin Jr. caught at SHU44, for 39 yards to the SHU32 (#23 J.Lewis), 1ST DOWN
Week 2 · Sacred Heart · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.63(08:14) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III rush left for 22 yards gain to the UMass46, out of bounds at UMass46, 1ST DOWN
Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&4 · Q1 · EPA +2.54(05:26) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete short right to #23 E.Faulkner caught at RU06, for 21 yards to the RU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 05:26, 1ST DOWN #99 D.Morris kick attempt good (H: #43 E.Phillipson, LS: #51 G.Mills)
Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.35Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete short right to #2 T.Harding caught at RU49, for 14 yards to the RU49, out of bounds at RU49, 1ST DOWN
Week 2 · Sacred Heart · 1&8 · Q2 · EPA +2.32(00:21) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III rush middle for 8 yards gain to the SHU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:21 #99 D.Morris kick attempt failed (H: #43 E.Phillipson, LS: #51 G.Mills)
Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA +2.28(06:34) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete deep right to #1 J.Griffin Jr. caught at RU27, for 30 yards to the RU27, out of bounds at RU27, 1ST DOWN
Week 1 · Rutgers · 3&13 · Q3 · EPA +2.19Shotgun #5 W.Watson III rush middle for 15 yards gain to the UMASS37 (#20 C.Joines; #3 L.Noel), 1ST DOWN
Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.07(11:46) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete short right to #23 E.Faulkner caught at RU00, for 2 yards to the RU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 11:46 #99 D.Morris kick attempt good (H: #43 E.Phillipson, LS: #51 G.Mills)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2026 season · 2 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CMP/ATT	YDS	TD	YPA	QBR	Note
Wk 1	W 37-21@ Rutgers	19/22	197	3	9.0	91.3	Season-high 197 yds
Wk 2	W 37-10vs Sacred Heart	9/10	152	1	15.2	94.4
Total		28/32	349	4	12.1	92.8

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

William Watson III

2023

2026

2026 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Watch-list name (model)

Career stats

Signature game

Signature plays

Game log

Heisman trajectory

Peak #38