William “Pop” Watson didn’t just find a fresh start at UMass on Thursday night. He delivered the kind of debut that turns heads fast.
The former Virginia Tech quarterback, who spent three seasons in Blacksburg before moving on last offseason, guided the Minutemen to a stunning upset of Rutgers in their season opener. Watson was sharp from the start, completing 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 40 yards on six carries as UMass snapped into the kind of performance that erased the weight of a 16-game losing streak heading into the night.
Watson arrived at UMass after a winding path through Virginia Tech. A three-star signee in the 2023 recruiting class and the former Massachusetts high school player of the year, he redshirted that fall and spent the next two seasons as Kyron Drones’ backup.
The coach who brought him in, Brent Pry, was fired last September. Pry later returned to Virginia Tech under new head coach James Franklin as defensive coordinator, while Watson had already entered the transfer portal with an eye on getting closer to home.
That move paid off immediately on Thursday.
For Virginia Tech fans, the performance landed with a familiar sting and a little pride mixed in. Many were supportive of Watson on social media, and there was a reason for that: his final chapter with the Hokies had already given him a place in program history. In the 2024 regular-season finale, he started and led Virginia Tech to a 37-17 win over Virginia, finishing 14 of 21 for 254 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 48 yards and another score.
Still, his time at Tech never really opened up the way some expected. Fans were frustrated last season when Watson wasn’t given a shot to start despite Drones’ struggles, and in the finale at Virginia, interim coach Philip Montgomery stayed with Drones instead of turning to Watson. Over three seasons, Watson appeared in 11 games and made two starts for the Hokies.
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Virginia Tech Fans Finally Get Their First Real Look At Howles Offense
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Redshirt sophomore Grunkemeyer sits at the center of that conversation, while Hawkins gives the Hokies a back with proven production and Reynolds adds another layer of intrigue at tight end. If this opener goes the way Virginia Tech hopes, it could offer an early glimpse at how those roles fit into Howles broader plan, even if the real tests for this group are still down the road. [Read more 🡒]