Deshaun Watson’s back on the Heisman Trophy board

Nothing truly quantifies Deshaun Watson’s full contribution to the Clemson football team.

Formulas were created for quarterbacks in an attempt to quantify the total package. The NFL has one that would give Einstein a headache. The NCAA’s rankings can be done with a pencil. Watson is eighth nationally. And ESPN created a unique calibration for quarterbacks at any level. Watson is second to TCU’s Trevone Boykin.

Because he watched half of three blowouts from the sideline, his numbers this season aren’t extraordinary, which largely explains why after starting the season in the earliest Heisman Trophy conversations Watson slid off the grid.

Now as the quarterback of the nation’s top-ranked team he’s back on the radar, though not universally. Several media outlets include Watson on their “watch lists,” and he’s high on the boards in Las Vegas where a $10 bet would win a hundred. ESPN’s panel favors running backs at this point with Boykin the only quarterback in its top seven.

Nearly 40 years ago Steve Fuller led a surge in the Clemson football program that ultimately blazed a trail to the pinnacle. Wearing the same No. 4, Watson could be on a similar path with a chance to exceed Fuller’s achievements on the field.

Like Fuller in the ’70’s much of Watson’s value to Clemson is linked to the final score. There aren’t yardsticks for gauging preparation and attention to detail.

Or how to account for poise under pressure, sheer cool. Watson’s coaches and teammates said they’ve never seen him flustered or out of sorts, but life wasn’t easy and the games were his escape. Football was fun and he hated to lose, so why not look for every edge.

Listen to him for a few minutes, and it’s a hard to imagine he’s the same guy who pumped a fist and signaled touchdown when he hit Deon Cain in stride for a 40-yard touchdown at N.C. State. Yet when an opposing coach pushed him, Watson glanced back and essentially winked.

His voice during interviews is usually quiet and even, with little inflection, almost a monotone. Self-confidence isn’t an issue. Watson knows the Clemson playbook cover to cover. At Gainesville High in Georgia they ran a scheme virtually identical, and he began to learn how to identify defensive keys and read coverage.

Dabo Swinney said he was struck by Watson’s maturity as a freshman, “like talking to a senior.”

“He’s a guy that can beat you with his arm, bet you with his legs, he can beat you with his mind. He can beat you with his heart,” Swinney said. “That’s what makes him special.

“There (are) a lot of talented quarterbacks out there that maybe can throw the ball like he can and run like he can. I don’t know that there (are) many with the aptitude and work ethic that he has and just how he prepares.”

Watson studies opponents year round, not just in August during preseason camp or the week before a game. He was looking at Florida State last winter and during spring while recovering from surgery to repair a torn knee ligament.

“He pays the price every week no matter who we play,” Swinney said. “He takes pride in the little things, his ball handling, his footwork, his cadence, the tempo. How he carries things out, and how it affects the play.”

And his poise.

Offensive coordinators Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott marvel at Watson’s command and instincts, taking their plan and making it his.

“Obviously Deshaun has a great athletic skill set, but in my opinion his best quality is how quick he can make great decisions,” Scott said. “A guy that can consistently compute what’s going on in a split second and get the ball to the right spot, that’s very rare.”

Swinney believes Watson provides Clemson with rare advantage.

“It’s literally like having a tenth coach on your staff. He’s kind of like a player-coach,” Swinney said. “From a mentality standpoint, he’s at that level.”

As a teammate and leader, he blends egos from both sides of the ball.

Protecting and insulating him without smothering can be tricky.

“He’s our quarterback. He is our leader,” said junior center Jay Guillermo. “We kind of run off of him. As an offensive line part of responsibility it’s to mentally have his back, let him know and keep him confident we’re going to keep him upright.”

If Watson becomes frustrated, Guillermo may approach him on the sideline. “I make him look me in the eyes and I say, ‘Hey, man, I love you. Tell me you love me.’ ” It’s a little corny but it’s sincere and it helps break tension.

“I worry about him and not letting things get into his head because there’s a lot of pressure on him and the national spotlight is on him,” Guillermo said. “He handles it very, very well. He handles it well because he prepares so well.”

As Clemson moves forward from 8-0 and No. 1 in the College Football Playoff poll, as the numbers continue to climb, as his candidacy for the Heisman heats up, nobody expects it to alter Watson.