Tag: Watts

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) scores a touchdown in front of USC Trojans wide receiver Mario Williams (4) after a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 48-20. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame All-American S Xavier Watts returning for 2024 season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Notre Dame unanimous All-American safety Xavier Watts has elected to return to the Fighting Irish for the 2024 season.

Watts simply said “run it back” on his various social media sites while pitching the video of his announcement. The video was filmed in a Western outdoor setting in El Paso, site of the Sun Bowl, and Watts dug up a gold bar out of the ground that said, “XAVIER WATTS returns in 2024.”

Notre Dame finished its season with a 40-8 shellacking of Oregon State at the Sun Bowl in El Paso on Friday.

Watts won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player among a slew of honors.

Watts led the nation with seven interceptions. He added 52 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He scored a touchdown on the fumble return during a 48-20 win over Southern California on Oct. 14.

Watts was a receiver when he arrived at Notre Dame and he played in two games in 2020 and redshirted. He moved to defense during the 2021 season when the Fighting Irish were dealing with injuries in the secondary and he has been a fixture at safety the past two seasons.

–Field Level Media

Sep 22, 2018; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Pitt Panthers receiver Maurice Ffrench (2) runs the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels safety D.J. Ford defends during the second half at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels won 38-35. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Trio of DBs opt out at North Carolina

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Three North Carolina defensive backs will sit out the 2020 football season amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

The school confirmed Friday to The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., that D.J. Ford, Bryce Watts and Javon Terry will skip the season, leaving the Tar Heels lacking depth at the position.

Their move follows that of redshirt freshman offensive lineman Triston Miller, who on Thursday opted out for “personal reasons,” per the newspaper.

Ford, a senior, appeared in all 13 games and made seven starts at defensive back in 2019. He recorded 54 tackles, one sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, three hurries, two breakups, one fumble recovery and one interception. He was expected to contend for a starting role at safety.

Terry, a sophomore, saw limited action in all 13 games, making four tackles, including one for loss, and adding a sack.

Watts, a junior, has yet to play for the Tar Heels. He transferred from Virginia Tech and sat out the 2019 season under NCAA transfer rules.

In the preseason Amway Coaches Poll, released Thursday, North Carolina was ranked No. 19.

The Tar Heels are scheduled to host Syracuse on Sept. 12 to open the season.

–Field Level Media