William Watson III stats, 2026
Massachusetts (4–4, Mid-American). Quarterback. 2026 season, games through Oct 24, 2026.
William Watson III is a quarterback for Massachusetts (4–4). Among quarterbacks this season he's 21st in completion % (69.6%), 64th in EPA per play (0.31), 72nd in passing success rate (44.1%), in 6 games.
Bio
Who is William Watson III?
- Position
- Quarterback
- Class
- Senior
- Height
- 6-0
- Weight
- 210 pounds
- Number
- No. 5
- Hometown
- Springfield, MA
- High school
- Springfield Central (Springfield, MA)
- Recruiting
- 3-star, No. 810 in the 2023 class, signed with Virginia Tech
- Transfers
- Virginia Tech to Massachusetts (2026)
From the 2026 roster, the 247Sports recruiting composite and the transfer portal, all via CollegeFootballData.com.
The season
William Watson III's passing stats
He's 21st of 172 quarterbacks in completion % (69.6%) and 79th of 197 quarterbacks in passing TDs (8).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 1,031 | 110th of 209 |
| Passing TDs | 8 | 79th of 197 |
| Interceptions thrown | 2 | — |
| Completion % | 69.6% | 21st of 172 |
| Yards per attempt | 7.5 | 85th of 172 |
The season
William Watson III's passing efficiency
He's 43rd of 173 quarterbacks in sack rate (3.5%) and 64th of 207 quarterbacks in EPA per play (0.31).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Passing success rate | 44.1% | 72nd of 172 |
| EPA per play | 0.31 | 64th of 207 |
| Sack rate | 3.5% | 43rd of 173 |
The season
William Watson III's rushing stats
He's 29th of 133 quarterbacks in yards per carry (6.7) and 53rd of 149 quarterbacks in rushing TDs (3).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing yards | 201 | 77th of 207 |
| Carries | 30 | 93rd of 209 |
| Yards per carry | 6.7 | 29th of 133 |
| Rushing success rate | 47.8% | 74th of 128 |
| Rushing TDs | 3 | 53rd of 149 |
Ranks are among every FBS quarterback with the stat this season. Rates need a minimum sample (50 dropbacks for passing rates, 20 carries, 8 catches). From the play-by-play.
Charts
How does William Watson III compare, in charts?
Career
William Watson III's career stats
| Season | Team | Comp. | Att. | Comp. % | Pass yds | Pass TD | INT | Rush yds | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Virginia Tech | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | 34 | 58 | 58.6% | 481 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 1 |
| 2025 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 77 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2026 | Massachusetts | 96 | 138 | 69.6% | 1,031 | 8 | 2 | 201 | 3 |
| Career | 132 | 201 | 65.7% | 1,589 | 9 | 4 | 282 | 5 |
Past seasons (back to 2022) from CollegeFootballData.com; 2026 from the play-by-play, games through Oct 24, 2026.
By school
How did William Watson III do at Virginia Tech and Massachusetts?
Massachusetts this season is where he's been best: his best on 5 of the 7 rates below. That's a passing success rate of 44.1% (34.6% at Virginia Tech), +0.31 EPA per play (+0.11) and 69.6% completions (57.1%). His weakest stretch was Virginia Tech (2023–2025): a passing success rate of 34.6% and +0.11 EPA per play. His biggest season for passing yards was 2026 at Massachusetts, with 1,031. The Massachusetts numbers are 2026 so far, through Oct 24, 2026. The rates compare fairly with his other seasons; the totals are still growing.
| School | Seasons | Comp. | Att. | Comp. % | Pass yds | Pass TD | INT | Rush yds | Rush TD | Pass success | Explosive passes | Rush success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech | 2023–2025 | 36 | 63 | 57.1% | 558 | 1 | 2 | 81 | 2 | 34.6% | 18.0% | 51.6% |
| Massachusetts | 2026 (so far) | 96 | 138 | 69.6% | 1,031 | 8 | 2 | 201 | 3 | 44.1% | 13.1% | 47.8% |
* 2026 so far, through Oct 24, 2026.
Totals for his seasons at each school; rates worked out from those totals. Success and explosive rates count every play; EPA per play leaves out garbage time. Rates need the same minimum sample as the season stats.
Advanced
William Watson III's advanced stats by season
| Season | Team | EPA/play | Pass EPA/play | Rush EPA/play | Pass success | Explosive passes | Rush success | Total EPA | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | +0.05 | -0.06 | +0.33 | 34.7% | 15.8% | 56.0% | 4.9 | 37% |
| 2025 | Virginia Tech | +0.98 | +1.20 | +0.43 | — | — | — | 6.9 | 6% |
| 2026 | Massachusetts | +0.31 | +0.27 | +0.54 | 44.1% | 13.1% | 47.8% | 52.5 | 56% |
EPA per play is the expected points a player adds on each of his plays (0 is average; glossary). Success means the play stayed on schedule: half the yards to go on first down, 70% on second, all of them on third or fourth. Explosive means a run of 12+ yards or a completion of 16+, as a share of his throws, carries or catches. Usage is the share of his team's plays that went to him. EPA and usage leave out garbage time; success and explosive rates count every play. From CollegeFootballData.com and cfbfastR.
Game log
William Watson III's game log, 2026
| Week | Opponent | Result | Passing yards | Passing TDs | Interceptions thrown | Rushing yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at Rutgers | W 37–21 | 197 | 3 | 0 | 40 |
| 2 | vs. Sacred Heart | W 37–10 | 152 | 1 | 0 | 40 |
| 3 | vs. Stonehill | W 36–14 | 164 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 4 | at Sacramento State | W 35–6 | 101 | 1 | 0 | 72 |
| 5 | vs. Eastern Michigan | L 14–38 | 210 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 8 | at UConn | L 16–35 | 207 | 1 | 0 | 23 |
FAQ
Questions about William Watson III
What position does William Watson III play?
William Watson III plays quarterback for Massachusetts, which is 4–4 this season.
Where has William Watson III played?
Virginia Tech (2023–2025) and Massachusetts (2026).
Where is William Watson III from, and what year is he?
William Watson III is a senior quarterback for Massachusetts, listed at 6-0 and 210 pounds, from Springfield, MA.
How tall is William Watson III, and how much does he weigh?
William Watson III is listed at 6-0 and 210 pounds on Massachusetts's 2026 roster.
What year is William Watson III?
William Watson III is a senior, from the 2023 recruiting class.
What are William Watson III's career stats?
Over 4 seasons (2023–2026), William Watson III has 1,589 passing yards, 9 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions, plus 282 rushing yards.
Who does William Watson III play for?
Massachusetts (4–4, Mid-American), where he plays quarterback and wears No. 5.
Is William Watson III eligible for the NFL Draft?
Yes. Players can enter the NFL Draft three years after high school, and William Watson III was in the 2023 class, so he's eligible for the 2027 draft.
How did William Watson III play in his last game?
Week 8 at UConn: 207 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 23 rushing yards. Massachusetts lost 16–35.
Where did William Watson III go to high school?
Springfield Central (Springfield, MA). He was a 3-star recruit, No. 810 in the 2023 class, signed with Virginia Tech.
Is William Watson III a transfer?
Yes. He transferred from Virginia Tech to Massachusetts (2026).
What are William Watson III's stats this season?
1,031 passing yards, 8 passing TDs, 2 interceptions thrown, 69.6% completion %, 7.5 yards per attempt in 6 games, through Oct 24, 2026.
How does William Watson III rank nationally?
Among FBS quarterbacks: 21st of 172 in completion %, 64th of 207 in EPA per play, 72nd of 172 in passing success rate.
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Everything on this site starts with someone else's data, and we credit all of it. The projections, picks, rankings and tiers are our own math on top.
Where the data comes from
| Source | What we use | How often |
|---|---|---|
| CollegeFootballData.com, via the public cfbfastR files | Schedules, final scores, pregame Elo, play-by-play and box score stats, rosters | Usually posted Sunday or Monday morning after games |
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| 247Sports | Team talent composite, star counts, 2026 transfer portal rankings | Preseason |
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| us-atlas (U.S. Census Bureau boundaries) | State shapes for the map | Once |
How we turn it into projections
- Projected score. Each team's SP+ offense, plus how far the opponent's SP+ defense is from average, plus special teams. The home team gets half of a 2.5-point home edge added and the visitor half subtracted.
- Win chance. The projected margin turned into a probability, assuming games usually land within about 14 points of the projection. A 0-point margin is 50%; 14 points is about 84%.
- The three ratings. SP+ is built from every play this season. PRIME is a possession-efficiency rating. Elo uses only final scores and carries over from year to year, with 55 Elo points of home edge.
- The numbers' pick. The team at least two of the three ratings favor, with our confidence the average of their three win chances for that team. On the game cards, a pick is a lock when all three favor the same team and the average win chance is 80% or more, a coin flip when it's under 55%, and a lean otherwise. Injuries can drop the tier: each key player out counts by what he does for his team (a starting quarterback is 2 points, the feature back or top receiver half a point, doubtful counts half), the other side's injuries offset, and 1 point drops a tier, 2 points two. The game page shows it as an injury alert. Nobody overrides the numbers' pick.
- CFB Charts Top 25. SP+, PRIME and strength of record, each converted to a common scale and averaged.
- Playoff picture. The 2026-27 rules: automatic bids for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions (the current conference leader stands in until the title games) and for the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. Notre Dame is in if it ranks in the top 12. The rest are at-large teams by the chosen rating, and all 12 are seeded straight by that rating, so the top four get the byes. Once the committee's rankings are out (first release Tuesday, Nov. 3), they become the default ranking.
- Missing data. When a team's play-by-play is clearly incomplete (fewer than 45 offensive plays a game), we hide its offense stats instead of showing bad numbers.
Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of the 138 FBS teams.
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- 12 teams, under the 2026-27 rules. Automatic bids go to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, and to the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. Until the title games, each conference's current leader stands in as its champion.
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Each column is that week's ranking. Arrows compare the latest poll to the week before. NR means not ranked.
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SP+ vs. payroll is the average, across a conference's teams with an NIL valuation (positive means its teams play better than their payrolls predict). Blue-chip ratio is the share of all its rostered players who were 4- or 5-star recruits.
Ranks are national, out of 138 FBS teams. A top-10 team also counts toward the top 25 and top 40, and everyone outside the last cutoff counts as weak. Open a conference to see its teams.
Conference depth
Projected bracket
Seeds 1–4 get first-round byes. Seeds 5–8 host the first round.
The field and the bubble
The columns on the right show where each team would be seeded under the other ratings. A dash means out.
How the field is built
- 12 teams. Five get in automatically: the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, plus the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt (champion or not).
- Notre Dame is in if it ranks in the top 12.
- At-large. The remaining spots go to the highest-ranked teams left. If an automatic qualifier ranks outside the top 12, it takes the last at-large spot.
- Seeding follows the ranking, as it has since 2025. A conference champion isn't guaranteed a bye.
- Champions mid-season. "Current conference leader" uses the best conference record so far, with ties broken by the chosen rating. "Highest-rated team" picks the best-rated team in each conference instead.
- Composite averages SP+, PRIME and strength of record after putting each on a common scale.
- This is a projection from today's numbers. The real field is chosen by a committee on Dec. 6, after conference title games.
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How we picked it
Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.
Where the game is won
Where the game is won
Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.
Injuries and availability
Statuses come from the conference availability reports and team news, as of the date shown. "Hasn't played" means a regular (the main passer, a quarter of the carries or 15% of the catches) with no pass, carry or catch in his team's last two games, from the play-by-play. That can be an injury, a benching or a suspension. Linemen and defenders don't show up in that check.
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Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.