Deshaun Watson Named ACC Player of the Year: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

No single player has meant more to the Clemson Tigers than Deshaun Watson as they finished the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record. The sophomore quarterback collected the first of what could be many postseason awards, taking home the ACC Player of the Year on Wednesday, per Bleacher Report's Bryan Fischer.

Watson was the runaway winner, with his 39 first-place votes being more than four times as many as second-place finisher Dalvin Cook:

Player	School	First-Place Votes
Deshaun Watson	Clemson	39
Dalvin Cook	Florida State	9
Marquise Williams	North Carolina	1
Jeremy Cash	Duke	1

According to Aaron Brenner of the Post & Courier, Watson is the first player since Matt Ryan in 2007 to win ACC Player of the Year after getting tapped for the award in the preseason.

"If you look at any championship team out there, most of them have a great quarterback and leader," said Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, per Steve Phillips for TheACC.com. "That's what we have. It's a huge advantage when you have the best player in the nation, and I believe he is that."

Watson made a big impression on the Tigers during his freshman season and has followed up with another strong campaign. He has thrown for 3,223 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for another 756 yards and nine touchdowns.

Some are making the case for Watson to not only be crowned the ACC's best player, but also the most outstanding player in the country. He sits second on ESPN's Heisman Watch for Week 14.

For Watson, winning the Heisman Trophy will take a backseat to Clemson's hunt for an ACC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. He has already left a mark on the program, and delivering the Tigers' first-ever outright national title would make him a legend in South Carolina.