There is a newfound sense of optimism surrounding the Houston Texans. Following their tumultuous search for a franchise quarterback, they finally got what they were looking for in Deshaun Watson.

Watson's success was one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2017 season. However, former college teammate Dorian O'Daniel said the expectations for the young quarterback are extremely high, per NFL Network, bringing up future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

“Deshaun’s the GOAT. When it’s all said and done, I think Deshaun will be in the conversation with the Tom Bradys and the Peyton Mannings,”  O’Daniel said. “Everyone that’s played with Deshaun and knows him – no one was surprised (at his early NFL success).”

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Watson was coming off a decorated college career at Clemson that was capped by a National Championship win over Alabama. However, there was hardly any buzz surrounding his stock going into the draft that year. As a result, he slipped to the Texans with the 12th overall pick and quickly proved to be one of its biggest steals.

It did not take long for Watson to establish himself as Houston's next franchise quarterback. He threw for 1,699 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in seven games while garnering the respect of defenses around the league.

Although his season was cut short with a torn ACL, he has done more than enough to maintain his status as one of the most promising, young gunslingers in the NFL. Furthermore, recent reports suggest that he is ahead of schedule for his rehab and is on track to get some solid work in with the team this offseason.