Tag: Xavier Watts

Star Notre Dame defender declares for NFL Draft

Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills is going to the league.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] is moving on.

Mills declared for the NFL Draft on Monday.

He was a key anchor for the Notre Dame defense, though he missed the final three games with a right knee injury.

The five-year player had 37 total tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2024.

Mills posted a long thank-you note to Notre Dame fans on his Twitter account.

Notre Dame’s defense has now lost at least three stars to the NFL draft, with [autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] also declaring. The departures aren’t necessarily unexpected given how crucial the Fighting Irish’s defense was to Notre Dame’s run to the national championship game, but they’re a blow nonetheless.

Notre Dame gets terrible news as another starter is out for the year
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 09: Rylie Mills #99 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates a sack against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on November 09, 2024 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Notre Dame All-American safety Xavier Watts declares for NFL draft

Go Xavier!

Ask any Notre Dame fan who the leader of the 2024 defense, and most if not all of them will say [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag]. Nobody did more for that unit than him, and there’s no way the Irish would have gone as far as they did without him. Now, he’ll see how he contribute at the next level.

Watts, a graduate student at Notre Dame, has announced his declaration to enter the 2025 NFL draft. There wasn’t any question that he would turn professional after this past season, especially with sites like Tankathon projecting him as a second-round pick. The question now is how soon if at all he will make an impact as a professional.

Watts was a two-time consensus All-American for the Irish. In 55 career games, he recorded 188 games, nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and had 13 interceptions, one of which resulted in a 100-yar return for a touchdown, the longest such play in Irish history:

https://www.instagram.com/xavier.watts/p/DFOFA2ZyTk3/?hl=en

Best of luck to Watts on his next adventure. It figures to be a good one.

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Texans target long-term OT, DB in Draft Wire’s latest mock

In Draft Wire’s latest mock, the Houston Texans land two safe prospects with immense upside for the 2025 season.

Where do the Houston Texans look with their first two picks in the NFL Draft?

According to Draft Wire, the usual suspect takes control in Round 1 while a surprise becomes the focal point in Round 2.

In the latest mock from the all-draft website, Houston shores up the offensive line with the selection of West Virginia offensive tackle Wyatt Milum at pick No. 25. A nimble left tackle prospect, the three-year Mountaineer is an experienced, skilled run blocker with good play strength and powerful hands to displace in pass protection.

Milum also could shift inside at eight guard position, thus shoring up a major weakness on the offensive line for the long haul.

Draft Wire wasn’t done. In the second round, Houston secures a running mate for free safety Calen Bullock with the addition of Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.

A two-time All-American and the 2023 recipient of the Bronko Nagurski award, Watts is a hard-hitting defender who plays fast as a result of his high football IQ. He’s a larger-framed Jimmie Ward with position flexibility to play in a two-high safety set or a rover-type role when asked to defend the run.

The Texans own six picks in the upcoming NFL Draft on April 26.

NFL draft profile and projection for safety Xavier Watts

Check out our NFL draft profile on safety Xavier Watts.

The College Football Playoff will feature plenty of top NFL talents, whether they are eligible or not. This is the talent level you expect to see in a game of caliber.

After starting with cornerback Benjamin Morrison, the focus turns to his secondary mate Xavier Watts. After Georgia safety Malaki Starks, there is a dropoff in talent at the position but Watts is among those who are competing to be the second safety off the board in the 2025 class. The two-time All-American can show off his high football IQ and instincts.

As a fifth-year senior, this is the last season for Watts at the collegiate level unless he wants to use his Covid year since he signed with the Irish in the 2020 class. Most likely he will make the jump to the next level.

Xavier Watts, Safety

Draft Projection: Round 2

Watts will bring a lot to his next team when he makes the jump to the NFL due to his ability to play multiple roles. He can play as a single-high safety, down in the box, or cover the tight end or running backs. Over the last two seasons, he has intercepted 13 passes with one returned for a touchdown. Watts also has 17 career pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles. The 2023 Bronko Nagurski winner is a playmaker.

Two Notre Dame football players earn ESPN All-American honors

Congrats to Xavier and Rylie!

Two members of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team have earned ESPN All-American honors.

Safety [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] have been given the nod — Watts as a first-team All-American and Mills as a second-team.

Watts has 47 solo tackles, six interceptions, and one forced fumble in 2024-2025 — and there’s still one game to play. Mills is out for the rest of the season with an injury, but he racked up 19 tackles and 7.5 sacks before being sidelined.

Watts and Mills are two key pieces of a dominant Notre Dame defense that has led the Irish to the national championship game against Ohio State.

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates after kicking a field goal against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

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Dolphins’ top 2025 draft prospects: Notre Dame S Xavier Watts

Will the Dolphins make the safety position a priority early in the 2025 NFL draft?

Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts is a converted wide receiver so it’s no shock he was second in the nation in interceptions this year with six, and leader in 2023 with seven. The consensus All-American received the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Award for the nation’s top defensive player. Watts has great ball skills and hands, and his quick transition to become a productive safety demonstrates his smarts and football IQ.

Position: Safety/Slot
Projected round: 2nd
Height: 6’0
Weight: 203

Fit for Miami

The Dolphins had poor safety play in 2024 and both Jevón Holland and Jordan Poyer are set to become free agents in March. Even depth defensive back and special teamer Elijah Campbell could hit the market this offseason, so Miami must circle safety as a top need.

Watts could be a potential replacement for Holland, should the fourth-year veteran find riches elsewhere.

The Notre Dame captain is a top three or four safety in this class, so if Miami passes on Georgia’s Malaki Starks at No. 13 overall, he could be the team’s solution on the back-end.

Bottom line

Watts could be a solid pick as well as an economic solution for general manager Chris Grier at the safety position. Not paying top dollar to keep Holland could give Miami the ability to address other needs.

Watts has the leadership, ball-hawking skills, and physicality Miami needs. The Dolphins had just 10 interceptions in 2024, and their leader in the statistic was linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who wasn’t even on the roster at the start of November. In fact, no safety recorded an interception for Miami this season, and the group had just one sack.

While still a work in progress at the position, Watts has ball skills as well as work at linebacker on his collegiate résumé. He could be an immediate impact player deep in the secondary, up in slot duties, and against the run. Watts is a potential captain-type player with game-changing ability.

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Notre Dame updates its depth chart ahead of College Football Playoff vs. Penn State

Notre Dame has released the depth chart for the Penn State matchup, and it looks good for the health of certain players.

Notre Dame has released the updated depth chart for when the Irish take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

What jumps out is running back [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] is listed atop the RB spot, suggesting he is likely to play despite getting banged up in the 23-10 win over Georgia.

[autotag]Rocco Spindler[/autotag] sits atop the right guard spot, so he should be back in action after dealing with a right ankle injury.

On defense, [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] is atop the safety spot. He left the field briefly against Georgia but appears to be OK. Meanwhile, linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] is back on the depth chart as a reserve. [autotag]Junior Tuihalamaka[/autotag] continues to back up [autotag]Joshua Burnham[/autotag] at the vyper pass-rusher position.

Jan. 2, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) holds up the Sugar Bowl outstanding defensive player trophy after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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Three Notre Dame players to watch against Georgia football

Three Notre Dame players to watch in the Sugar Bowl against UGA

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will present a major challenge for the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame has a talented roster and is riding an 11 game winning streak. The Fighting Irish have one of the top defenses in college football and a strong rushing attack.

The Sugar Bowl will played in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m. ET as part of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Here are the three Notre Dame players to watch for against Georgia

Running back Jeremiyah Love

Jeremiyah Love was arguably the most dynamic running back in the nation not named Ashton Jeanty. Love averages 7.4 yard a carry and has rushed for 1,057 yards with 16 touchdowns this season. Whenever the Irish needed a big play or a significant gain, they’d prefer to have the ball in Love’s hands. He also is a good pass-catcher out of the backfield with 24 receptions.

Safety Xavier Watts

Xavier Watts is No. 2 in the nation in interceptions with six. His ballhawk ability is what separates him from a lot of other safeties that Georgia has played this year. He is also not afraid in the run game as well. Watts is second on the team with 60 tackles. Watts will be looking to cause havoc and force Gunner Stockton into an interception.

Quarterback Riley Leonard

Riley Leonard of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish presents a dual-threat challenge for Georgia. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Riley Leonard was a highly coveted transfer from Duke. He has over 3,000 total yards this season with 24 touchdowns this season. Leonard has similar skill set to Haynes King, who is Georgia Tech’s dual-threat quarterback that caused problems for this Georgia defense. Leonard is a better passer than King but both are similar with their use in the run game.

Georgia has struggled against running quarterbacks this season.

Notre Dame vs. Indiana: First-Quarter Analysis

What are your thoughts after a quarter?

The College Football Playoff is underway, and it couldn’t have gotten off to a crazier start. Whether Notre Dame or Indiana wins, the victory will have to be earned.

After the Irish’s defense started the game with a three-and-out, [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag]’s first pass was deflected at the line and ended up in the hands of the Hoosiers’ D’Angelo Ponds. But just when it seemed like the Hoosiers were going to score the game’s first points with a short field, [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] got his own interception of Kurtis Rourke near the end zone.

Even with the Irish backed up to their own 2-yard line, it proved not to matter for [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag], who promptly tied a program record with a 98-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. Just like that, it was the Irish on the scoreboard first.

The Hoosiers put together a nice drive on their next possession but ultimately were forced to punt again. The Irish didn’t have another explosive play on their ensuing drive, but it was far more calculated, and it resulted in one first down after another. They were in the red zone by the time the clock hit zero on the game’s first 15 minutes.

Breathe easy, folks. There’s a lot of football ahead.

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Notre Dame College Football Playoff round one highlight: Jeremiyah Love goes long

Jeremiyah Love opens the scoring for Notre Dame against Indiana.

Once again, Notre Dame has gotten a huge play from running back [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag].

Just one play after a [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] interception got the ball back for the Fighting Irish against the Indiana Hoosiers, Love took a handoff 98 yards to the house.

Love has now scored a rushing touchdown in all 13 games this season.

The touchdown run opened the game’s scoring and gave the Irish a 7-0 lead in the first round of the newly expanded College Football Playoff.

Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs against Indiana Hoosiers defensive back D’Angelo Ponds (5) and defensive back Jamari Sharpe (22) during the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

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