Deshaun Watson is too good to keep on the sidelines.
The third-place finisher in the 2015 Heisman voting will play for both teams on Saturday when the runner-up in the 2015-16 season closes out its spring practice with the annual Orange and White game.
And there should be a lot of interest in the game: USA TODAY Sports projected Clemson No. 1 in its way-too-early lookahead to the 2016-17 season.
The Tigers have a few holes to fill on defense, but there remains enough in place for the Tigers to to defend their Atlantic Coast Conference title and complete another unbeaten regular season.
Clemson returns 14 starters and 52 lettermen from last year’s team, plus wide receiver Mike Williams and nickel back Korrin Wiggins, who were starters in 2014. Both missed most of the 2015 season because of njury and will sit out the spring game, but will be ready in August.
Watson will be the first quarterback to play for both teams in the spring game since Charlie Whitehurst did so in 2004.
The game (2:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium) will be played with normal clock rules for the first two quarters. After the second possession of the third quarter, the clock will run continuously except during a timeout, a quarter change or injury. Unlike recent seasons, all kickoffs and punts will be covered live.
