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Top dual-threat QB: Trevone Boykin or Deshaun Watson?

Top-level pocket passers are rare at the college level, with many programs going with dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks who can threaten defenses with both the run and the pass.

Two of those dual-threat QBs stand above the rest entering the 2015 season, according to our data: TCU’s Trevone Boykin and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. Each can make plays through both the air and on the ground, and has dangerous weapons around him on offense.

So which one is better? That’s a tough call to make.

Boykin starred in 2014, rushing for 707 yards, passing for 3,901 and accounting for 41 total touchdowns. He's not a finished product as a passer, but is already good enough to earn an 82.1 passing grade, to go along with his 83.2 rushing grade. He graded positively as a rusher in all but one game in 2014.

Watson was restricted by injury last season, holding him to just 200 rushing yards, 1,466 passing yards and 19 total touchdowns. However, he was a star when fully healthy. His 87.9 rushing grade makes him one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks in the nation. Like Boykin, Watson has room to grow as a passer, but he was already capable of showing good touch on a deep ball as a true freshman, helping him to an 83.1 passing grade and, prompting colleague Steve Palazzolo to post this.

So, which one is the best? Both are excellent, but it's difficult to choose against Watson. He's less proven, but has shown flashes of being an excellent passer to match the danger he poses on the ground, making him a true dual-threat. We’ll give him the nod here based on his upside.

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