Watson Young is walking away from the game, as the redshirt freshman offensive lineman has decided to step away from football.
During Clemson Football’s media outing on Tuesday at Clemson’s Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, offensive line coach Matt Luke met with the media in the complex’s PAW Bistro and discussed Young choosing to leave football.
Injuries played a major part in Young’s decision, according to Luke. Young, who was entering his third year with the Tigers, missed the entire 2024 season after suffering a knee injury and did not see any game action last year.
“I think he really wanted to be out there, and I am not going to speak for him. But he has had multiple knee injuries,” Luke said. “He had one in the Shrine Bowl and then he hurt the same one again going into fall camp, and I think that was really tough on him with back-to-back ACLs. He never felt healthy.”
Young, who signed with the Tigers as a three-star prospect out of nearby Daniel High School, has several ties to Clemson. His father, Kyle Young, is a Clemson Athletic Hall of Famer. He played for the Tigers from 1998-2001 and was a two-time All-American on the field as Clemson’s starting center across the 1999-2001 seasons.
Watson’s uncle, Will Young, was an offensive lineman at Clemson from 1992-95 and was an All-ACC selection in 1995. Watson’s great grandfather, Ed McLendon, lettered in 1939 and played on the first bowl team in Clemson history that earned a 6-3 win in the 1940 Cotton Bowl. Watson’s grandfather, Ben Watson, was a linebacker at Clemson from 1968-70.
Watson was one of five finalists for Mr. Football in South Carolina in 2023. Daniel went 51-1 during his four years at the high school, winning three state titles in four years. He was an All-State honoree in 2022 and 2023 and was named to the South Carolina Shrine Bowl team in 2023.
Luke added that Young’s decision to leave the program ahead of the upcoming season was a “collective” one between him and the staff, but it was ultimately his call.
“You just try to be there for him,” Luke said. “We’re all going through it collectively as a family. It was a collective decision between everybody. Ultimately, [he decided] he was going to get out of football, and that was the decision that he came to.”
During the spring, head coach Dabo Swinney said Young had been working at center.
“He’s just battling. He’s battling. He’s in there competing at center, trying to get in the mix as well,” Swinney said. “The biggest thing with him is just he missed a lot of time. He’s missed a bunch of time around here. It’s hard to compete when you’re not available. And then all of a sudden you get behind, and it’s the season, and you’re kind of repping the guys that are playing.
“So, the spring is the time to get out there and compete. And that’s one of the things I told him – like, let’s go compete. Because he can. But he’s a center, for sure, and we need him. And he’s a consistent guy. So now, he’s got to really just be available every day and gain some confidence throughout the spring.”
–Jason Priester contributed to this story