Going into the most anticipated matchup in college football last week, Texas vs Alabama was nothing but headlines. There were stories about Texas fans only being allowed upper deck seating as payback for last year, there were stories on Alabama’s new starting QB Jalen Milroe, and there were plenty who wrote intriguing essays on each team’s strengths and weaknesses. Eventually, the Longhorns upset the prestigious Tuscaloosa team en route to being ranked fourth nationally in this week’s rankings.
A Potential CB Riser From Texas?
When thinking about the football players at the University of Texas, some names that may come forward are Quinn Ewers, the former 5-star recruit, Archie Manning, nephew of Eli and Peyton, and Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell, one of the most underrated WR duos in college football. Surprisingly for a team ranked fourth nationally, their defense doesn’t typically come to mind. Linebacker Jaylan Ford had a monster Week 1 versus Rice but he’s not who this article is about. Instead, I’ll be focussing on cornerback Ryan Watts.
After spending two years at Ohio State University, Watts transferred down south to Austin where he became a longhorn. In his first season at Texas in 2022, he tallied 53 total tackles, 1 sack, an interception, and 3 passes defensed. After a quiet first game against Rice, which isn’t a bad thing for a CB, where he logged one assisted tackle, Watts was great against the Crimson Tide. The entire first half, the Texas CB frustrated Milroe, logging 4 total tackles, 1 for a loss, and a TD saving PBU. After this, Milroe learned his lesson as Watts continued to be lockdown, not being tried again.
High Praise
We’re only two weeks into the season, but Watts has already gained recognition being praised by former NFL-star Dez Bryant. During the game Saturday afternoon, Bryant took to twitter tweeting, “DB #6 from Texas a first round corner.” Some pretty fond words from a wideout who dominated during his days. As previously said, we’re only two weeks into the season. But, if Watts continues on this trajectory, he’ll indeed amass first round recognition especially with his 6’3” 213 lbs frame.
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