Virginia Tech QB Pop Watson plans to enter NCAA transfer portal
Virginia Tech quarterback William “Pop” Watson III plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos reported. He appeared in four games this past season.
Watson threw for 77 yards this season after making five appearances as a redshirt freshman in 2024. In that time, he threw for 481 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing touchdown in relief of Kyron Drones.
On the whole, during his two seasons of action in Blacksburg, Watson threw for 558 yards and a touchdown. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.
The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Pop Watson played high school football at Springfield (Mass.) Springfield Central, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 814 overall player from the 2023 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
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Virginia Tech is undergoing major changes after the departure of Brent Pry. Former Penn State coach James Franklin is now in as head coach, though Pry is preparing to return to the staff as defensive coordinator.
At offensive coordinator, Virginia Tech is hiring Penn State tight ends coach Ty Howle to the role, and another Nittany Lions assistant is set to come in as quarterbacks coach. On3’s Pete Nakos reported Danny O’Brien will assume the role after working with quarterbacks such as Sean Clifford and Drew Allar during his time in Happy Valley, alongside Franklin.
The staff is one part of Franklin’s plans to help Virginia Tech return to previous heights. His goal is to make sure the Hokies are competitive and nationally relevant, he said on National Signing Day.
“There’s a difference between being competitive — and we’ve made a move to be competitive,” Franklin said earlier this month. “But I think you guys follow this closely enough, there are 10 programs out there in the country that are different than everyone else. Like, significantly different than everybody else. That’s what everybody is trying to do. Find different ways to be creative and strategic in the closing of those gaps. We have a chance to be as successful as everybody else.”