The Longhorns seemed to have struck gold in the transfer portal once again after landing defensive back Ryan Watts on Wednesday.
The former Ohio State Buckeye and Texas native decided to look for a new home after being a contributor, not a full-time starter in Columbus. It is a move that also brought him closer to home.
Watts has the potential to come in and snatch a staring spot from the get-go, as he has the size, speed, and athleticism that every defensive coordinator and defensive back coach dreams of. He measures in at about 6-foot-3, and reportedly has 4.5 speed. Watts has also put on enough muscle to give receivers difficulty at the line of scrimmage in press coverage.
Texas’ defensive back group was going to look different regardless of how well they did last year, or in their case, how poorly they did. Texas lost three of the starters in that group, and will need new players to come in and make an impact whether they be recruits or players who were backups last season.
Here is how I think Texas’ secondary could look for Week 1 next season. Keep in mind that this is for the season opener, not necessarily what Texas will choose to go with the majority of the season. True freshman Terrance Brooks could work his way into a starting role very quickly.