FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When Deshaun Watson watches Miami’s Brad Kaaya play he notices a few things he has seen somewhere before.

Kaaya, though a sophomore himself, has the liberty to check in out of play calls. He shifts protections on the offensive line, he is an accurate passer and he throws a beautiful deep ball.

“He is like me. He is a game manager,” said Watson, whose sixth-ranked Tigers will face Kaaya and the Hurricanes on Saturday at noon at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. “He knows the offense and he executes. You will just have to see on Saturday.”

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney does not have to wait until Saturday. He knows all about the Miami quarterback. Kaaya leads the ACC in passing yards (1,795), total yards (1,749), attempts (219) and fewest interceptions thrown (1).

“He’s just a confident player. He knows what we’re doing,” Swinney said. “He’s well coached, he’s very smart and that’s why he’s a great player. He studies and prepares during the week. The game is not fast for him. He doesn’t get overwhelmed.”

Does that sound familiar? It sounds a lot like Swinney’s sophomore quarterback.

Like Kaaya, Watson is mature for his age. He has the ability to see things on the field others don’t and he always seems to check into the right call.

“We get in the play and he had a bad look so he checked us into a better play. That’s what good players do and that’s how we train our quarterbacks,” Swinney said. “We’re not one of those teams that tells our quarterbacks what to do all the time. Our quarterbacks are trained to do a lot of different things. That’s why he’s tough to beat.”

Brad Kaaya leads the ACC in passing yards (1,795), total yards (1,749), attempts (219) and fewest interceptions thrown (1).

Watson is 10-1 as a starter, and Clemson has won all nine games in which he has started and finished. In last week’s win over Boston College, he frustrated a BC defense that still ranks number one in the country. He threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns, while completing pass plays of 30, 33, 50, 51 and 67 yards. It was as if he knew exactly what Boston College was doing.

“He has tremendous poise. He is excellent … has all the tools in terms of being able to sit in the pocket and throw, make all the throws, but yet the ability to create plays with his feet,” Miami head coach Al Golden said.

Watson can also run with the football. He is second on the team with 234 yards. He ran for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ win over Notre Dame—a 21-yard score—and also ran for a four-yard touchdown against Boston College.

“Obviously, he is tough in the read-game because if you fall asleep he’s going to pull it and get in the alley,” Golden said. “He is just a great competitor, and obviously a leader and a focal point for them, as he should be.

“He is a very, very talented young man and looks like a leader for them, as well. He is an excellent player.”

Kaaya isn’t bad himself. In his last 451 attempts, he has thrown just five interceptions.

“He does a great job when he looks over a defense on pre-snap. ‘Oh, you are really lined up like that. Watch this.’ And then he puts the ball right where you are not,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said.

“He is probably a film junkie and understands pre-snap looks and leverages. ‘Hey, it is not that complicated.’ He is probably that guy.”

He is also a good guy, according to Watson, who shared time with Kaaya when both were in the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp in high school.

“He is a great guy. He is a better guy off the field. He is one of those guys you can hang out with and enjoy his company,” Watson said.

The Tigers don’t want to enjoy his company on Saturday, however.

“Offensively, it is the best quarterback we have seen. He is smart. He is poised and he is very aware of what is going on and he has great fundamentals for the position. He has excellent feet. He is the guy. They want to put the ball in his hands and he is good enough to beat you. This is a big, big challenge for us.”