This Guy Plays Notre Dame Football: #21 Xavier Watts, Wide Receiver

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a roster full of players, and we want to talk about them all. One Foot Down’s player profile series will take a look at every single one of them, and hopefully we all learn a little bit more about these guys, and Notre Dame’s chances for the upcoming 2020 season.

#21 Xavier Watts, WR

Xavier Watts is an early enrollee freshman from Omaha, NE. Though he wasn’t too highly rated of a recruit, the coaching staff was very high on him. His tape also tells a better story than his stars, as he is all over the field both on offense and defense. He finished his Senior Season with 61 receptions and 13 touchdowns while putting up 68 tackles, 3 picks (returning 2 for touchdowns) on Defense. He could very well be the gem of this class.

Watts is a dynamic athlete who should see time on special teams, but might find it tough to break into the rotation as a true freshman. Spring ball would have helped him adjust to the speed and tempo of the game, so we will have to wait until (hopefully) the fall to evaluate.

Spirit Animal

Hyena

Hyena are rangy animals that hunt down prey over long periods of time. They roll in packs and can reach speeds up to 37 MPH (Thanks google). They are explosive and powerful. Not much more to say other than Xavier Watts is going to be an incredibly explosive player for the Irish.

2020 Outlook

Watts will have a difficult time cracking the rotation at receiver, especially after Rona canceled Spring Ball. However, he should at least play in 4 games on special teams in an effort to preserve eligibility. His athleticism and high ceiling may put him in a position to play in more games on STs and some potential garbage time at WR. I also suspect that he will be in the mix as a kick returner. Watts has a very bright future, and hopefully we can see glimpses in 2020.