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  • ATL Safety
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    Falcons traded up with the Eagles to select Notre Dame S Xavier Watts with the No. 96 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
    One of the most decorated defenders in Notre Dame history, Watts (6’0/204) enters the 2025 NFL Draft with a résumé stacked with production and accolades. A converted wide receiver who initially bounced around positions before finding his home at free safety, Watts earned back-to-back first-team AP All-American honors and captured the 2023 Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defender. Over the last two seasons, he racked up 13 interceptions, allowed zero touchdowns in coverage, and was a driving force behind a top-tier Irish defense. Watts’ tape showcases his elite football IQ and anticipatory skills. He thrives in zone-heavy alignments where his ability to read the quarterback and jump routes stands out. His 2024 PFF coverage grade of 89.5 ranks among the best in the class, and his 6 interceptions last season are no fluke, as Watts has an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time. He’s a quick-trigger player who sees things unfold before they happen, and his ability to range from deep or buzz underneath makes him scheme-versatile. However, the athletic profile gives pause. At 5’11”, 204 with a 4.58 forty and a middling 5.79 RAS, he’s a below-average tester with limited burst and twitch. The lack of agility testing only adds uncertainty and he tends to lose leverage in run fits. Watts projects best as a split-safety in zone-heavy systems, where his instincts and ball skills can shine without exposing his man-coverage limitations.
  • ATL Safety
    Fighting Irish WR Xavier Watts is being moved to rover linebacker.
    Watts (5'11/195) is moving the defense at the same time in which the Fighting Irish linebacker room has taken a major hit from the injury bug. Watts will be at rover linebacker, something HC Brian Kelly seems confident in his ability to do. “He certainly looks the part,” Kelly said. “We’re going to play him Saturday. He’s going to play rover when we get into the right situation.” Even though he’s being counted on early at a position he wasn’t expected to play, it actually seems to be a favorable situation for Watts. Kelly described a “logjam” at WR and it didn’t look like Watts would see any significant playing time as a wideout with the way things currently stand.

  • ATL Safety
    Notre Dame received a verbal commitment from three-star 2020 WR Xavier Watts.
    Watts (6'1/185) announced his commitment to Notre Dame Friday afternoon, a development that wasn’t all that shocking given how his recruitment went. The three-star wideout from Omaha, Nebraska (Burke HS) took his official visit to Notre Dame in late-June, and afterwards he told Tom Loy of 247Sports.com that he nearly committed to the program on the spot. Watts took a little time to think things through, ultimately deciding that South Bend was the place for him. As a junior he posted a receiving stat line of 65-1,093-15, and Watts can be used either on the outside or in the slot. Notre Dame is now up to 17 verbal commits in the 2020 class with four being wide receivers, headlined by five-star prospect Jordan Johnson.
  • ATL Safety
    Uncommitted three-star 2020 WR Xavier Watts told Tom Loy of 247Sports that he nearly committed to Notre Dame while on his official visit this weekend.
    “I almost committed on Saturday,” Watts told Loy. “I just felt really good at the moment and felt really comfortable.” The fact that the Omaha (Burke HS) native was able to hold off on committing is good news for Nebraska, which is considered to be the other major player in Watts’ recruitment. Nebraska and Michigan are two other schools that, according to Loy, could host Watts before he makes his college decision. There’s no timeline with regards to when the talented wide receiver will pick a school.