Dilfer comps new Tennessee quarterback Kaidon Salter to Deshaun Watson

Kaidon Salter never wavered off of his commitment to Tennessee, and now he’s going to have a chance to play in an offense that should be scoring a lot of points. For Salter, the coaching change is probably going to work in his favor, at least in terms of purely putting up numbers.

Josh Heupel has plans on bringing the Tennessee offense into the modern era, utilizing tempo and a spread attack. Salter will be able to learn this system from day one, starting on equal ground with every other quarterback in the room.

Salter was a member of the Elite 11 last year, competing in the finals with instructor Trent Dilfer. Salter left an impression on Dilfer — so much so that the former NFL quarterback was confident enough to drop a big comparison — Deshaun Watson.

“I remember looking at Deshaun Watson at 17 years old and seeing a lot of similarities with Kaidon Salter — their joint structure, their broad shoulders, their natural length,” Dilfer said in the video. “You’ve got to remember: When you’re projecting quarterbacks, it’s not what they are now. It’s what they’re going to become, and Kaidon Salter is going to become a monster that’s got a clean stroke and has tons of juice.” (H/T 247Sports)

Salter has been praised for his raw tools, particularly his arm strength and ability to attack down the field. He offers athleticism and the ability to extend plays, but like Watson, he’s not overly reliant on that. Salter plans on winning from the pocket, and Heupel’s offense should simplify some things for him.

The Texas native threw for over 2,700 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior. He also ran for over 1,000 yards, on his way to a state championship game appearance.

Tennessee’s quarterback battle will be an interesting one to follow starting this spring. Salter isn’t really expected to push for the starting job, but his progress will be something that we closely follow, looking towards the future.