Clemson QB Deshaun Watson coming to Hilton Head for football camp

B.J. Payne has imported a few top Heisman Trophy candidates to his All-American Football Camp staff since bringing the event to Hilton Head Island three years ago. Plenty of Clemson and South Carolina players have given their time as well.

Not until now, though, have they converged into one package like this.

Deshaun Watson, the likely Heisman frontrunner next fall after leading Clemson within a touchdown of the national title, is the headliner for next month’s event that also will be staffed by a strong collection of SEC, ACC and Big Ten talent.

“Being able to get Deshaun down was huge,” said Payne, completing his fourth year at Hilton Head Island High. “And he 100 percent wanted to do it. He enjoys working with kids, and what a great kid (to meet) in talking to him.”

Joining Watson will be his favorite target, All-ACC receiver Artavis Scott, along with second-team All-Big Ten linebacker Raekwon McMillan from Ohio State. Tennessee is sending a pair of second-team All-SEC players in running back Jalen Hurd and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

Texas defensive tackle Poona Ford is among a quartet of former Seahawks coming back to offer guidance to the Lowcountry’s next generation of talent.

The camp will run May 20-22 at the Seahawks’ practice fields and is open to kids from kindergarten through eighth grade. High schoolers aren’t eligible because they are considered prospects and subject to NCAA recruiting rules.

Early registration costs $75 per camper through April 29, with the price rising to $100 after that date.

The camp drew nearly 150 players last year, and Payne said it would be no surprise to see those numbers top 200 with the quality of this staff, which he suggested could feature as many as six first-round picks in next year’s NFL Draft.

“It’s really going to be a great camp,” Payne said. “And they do the camp. Deshaun Watson is handling quarterbacks the entire time. Artavis Scott is handling the receivers the entire time. It’s not like it’s just our (coaches) and they’re here as guest speakers. They’re actually coaching for three hours every day.”

Watson finished third in Heisman balloting last season, after accounting for 4,399 yards of total offense and 41 touchdowns as Clemson went unbeaten through the regular season, ACC title game and College Football Playoff semifinal against Oklahoma.

The Tigers took national champion Alabama to the wire, too — leading 24-21 entering the fourth quarter before the Crimson Tide turned the momentum with an onside kick. Alabama eventually claimed a 45-40 triumph.

In previous years, Payne’s staff has been dotted with such headliners as Ezekiel Elliott and Braxton Miller — both coming last year from Ohio State — along with future NFL picks James Laurinitis, Brian Hartline and Karl Joseph.

“But we’ve never had a Heisman frontrunner from an in-state school,” Payne said. “So this is huge.”

Give Scott an assist in closing the deal with Watson. As Payne was confirming details with Scott over the phone, he mentioned that he had yet to hear any indication from Watson.

“(Scott) said, ‘Hold on a second. Deshaun’s my roommate,’ ” Payne said. “Then Deshaun got on the phone. When I explained the camp to him and how it works, he was 100 percent on board.”

Payne noted the camp also offers the chance for the college players to mingle a little, having watched each other play on Saturdays but rarely crossing paths unless it was as opponents.

“I remember when Karl Joseph came down two years ago,” he said. “The South Carolina guys all knew who he was — a big hitting safety from West Virginia. Karl’s nickname is Crazy 8, so they’re all going, ‘Crazy 8 is coming? When does he land?’

“It’s a real neat bonding experience for those guys. And they truly do a great job with the kids.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Clemson QB Deshaun Watson coming to Hilton Head for football camp."