It was a breakout season for Notre Dame safety [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] last fall, as he was one of the most dominant players in the secondary across the country.
The former wide receiver’s play earned him the Bronko Nagurski Award last fall, but as he returned to South Bend, the expectations were that he’d be in the running once again.
No one said which award he’d be gunning for, and on Tuesday Watts was named as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Since 1986, the award has been giving out to the nation’s best defensive back, one that no previous Notre Dame player has won.
Watts has a legit shot at bring home the trophy, as he currently has 3 interceptions, six passes broken up along with 31 tackles on the season. While his pick numbers aren’t quite what they were last year with 7, he has plenty of time to match his total from 2023.
If he does that, Watts should be one of the finalist for the Thorpe and potentially win the award.
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