By Will Vandervort.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson says his knee is fine. The only problem he has these days is that he wants to play.

The Tigers’ star quarterback, who is being talked in some circles as a Heisman Trophy candidate in the fall, began the first day of spring practice on Monday tossing the football and doing a few drills with the other three quarterbacks before heading over to the trainers where he did rehabilitation on his left knee the rest of practice.

Watson, who tore his ACL at Georgia Tech last November, had surgery in December to repair his knee. The encouraging sign for Clemson is that he is able to run around and exercise with no issues.

And that is what makes it so hard for the sophomore to watch practice from the sideline.

“It’s my competitive nature to get out there and be out there with my friends and my teammates, but I know the process and I just have to wait my turn until I get healthy,” Watson said.

That turn might come faster than most. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said last Friday that Watson has treated his rehabilitation in his knee like everything else he does, he attacks and works hard to make sure he is doing everything he is supposed to be doing and he does it the right way.

Since he can’t practice, Watson says his No. 1 goal is to be a team leader and help the other three quarterbacks—Nick Schuessler, Tucker Israel and Kelly Bryant—the best way he can.

“It is really leadership and leading those guys and bringing them together,” he said. “I just want to make sure everyone is on the same page. I also want to grow mentally and make sure I become a student of the game and get better that way.”

It’s a unique situation for Watson to be in. This time last year he was the wide-eyed freshman that was looking up to guys like Cole Stoudt, Chad Kelly and Schuessler for guidance. With Stoudt and Kelly both gone, he now joins Schuessler in making sure the two true freshmen are learning as much as they can and will be prepared.

Because of the quarterback situation from last year, it will be imperative that Israel and Bryant are ready to play by the time fall camp gets here.

“They just don’t need to press anything,” he said. “Just take it one day at a time. Just enjoy the process. Don’t try to make it as big as people try to say it is. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Just go out there and do what you did in high school. That is the reason you are here. It is pretty much a new process so just go out there and enjoy it.”

One thing Watson is always doing is picking them minds of the offensive coaches.

“I just want to get a good idea of what their game plan is and what they really want to do on offense,” he said. “I want to know all the different strategies so each day is about learning something new.”