Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien said he expects former Clemson and Gainesville High star quarterback Deshaun Watson to be ready to play in 2017 despite the opinion of some scouts that he'll need seasoning to play at the NFL level, according to a report from USA Today's Tom Pelissero.

O’Brien is quoted in the story saying Watson has picked up the Texans’ offense “better than any rookie I’ve been around.” Watson is expected to begin the season behind starter Tom Savage on the Texans’ depth chart.

Watson earlier this week received a vote of confidence from President Donald Trump on his visit to the White House with his former Clemson teammates to commemorate their national title. And when NFL jersey sales for May were revealed, Watson was right there with some of the big boys.