The program’s fifth commit in July, three-star Armwood (Seffner, Florida) defensive tackle Desmond Watson became the latest member of the Gators’ 2021 class on Thursday.
He broke the news on his Twitter account.
Only up from here @1CoachCoop @coachdt48 pic.twitter.com/ZCm9M8LaS8
— Desmond Watson (@DesmondWatson12) July 30, 2020
Teammates with fellow Florida pledge Charles Montgomery, the mammoth Watson, listed at 6-foot-5-inches and 350 pounds, has racked up 119 tackles (60 for loss), 18 sacks, and four forced fumbles during his first three years with the Hawks, including 34 TFL and 10 sacks as a junior.
His half-brother, Darrian McNeal, a three-star wide receiver in the 2017 cycle, played one season in Eugene for the Oregon Ducks, catching two passes for 10 yards (five avg.) and adding three rushing attempts for 21 yards (seven avg.).
Unfortunately, McNeal’s story did not have a happy ending as he left the Ducks’ program in April 2018 and was charged with first-degree theft and second-degree robbery on June 26, 2020, following an incident at an apartment two days prior.
Watson originally picked up his offer from defensive line coach David Turner and cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray on January 17, 2019, and attended two Junior Days in Gainesville this year, the first in February and the second the month after.
He chose the Gators over seven other Southeastern Conference (SEC) programs, the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, and Texas A&M Aggies.
Andrew Ivins, a Miami Hurricanes insider for 247Sports, compared Watson to former Alabama standout Terrence Cody, who garnered first-team All-SEC and unanimous All-American honors in 2008 and 2009.
Overall, he is the twelfth-highest rated of Florida’s 23 commits and the sixth-highest on the defensive side of the football. Joining Fort Lauderdale’s Tyreak Sapp and Sumter, South Carolina’s Justus Boone, both four-stars, and Fort Myers’ Christopher Thomas, a three-star, Watson is the fourth defensive lineman in the group.
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