Texas Defender Has FSU in His Top 6: Scouting Report

Update: Watson has confirmed for me that his new top six is FSU, Virginia Tech, Cal, Arizona State, Arkansas, and TCU, but that he does not have a leader, presently.

Florida State football has been busy in Texas lately, as it recently extended a scholarship offer to Denton linebacker Anthony Hill. But the 'Noles weren't finished shopping the Lone Star State for defenders, as they also reached out to weak-side defensive end Landyn Watson with an offer.

Watson (6'3, 235) plays DE at Hutto High School, which is just northeast of Austin. A three-star 2021 prospect, he's the No. 28 WDE in his class, Texas' 55th best prospect, and the country's No. 389 overall recruit.

The first offers for Watson started coming in as far back as 2018, and they've not really slowed down. And until the pandemic hit, he made several visits. He's been to Texas A&M several times, and he's also checked out Notre Dame, Texas, Alabama, Clemson, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, and LSU, which prompted his commitment to the Bayou Bengals in July of 2019.

But Watson decommitted from the Tigers in November, before taking trips to Texas Tech and Baylor just ahead of the shutdown. However, Virginia Tech is largely considered the leader for his services. Which is interesting, since his lead recruiter at FSU is defensive ends coach John Papuchis, who graduated from VT.

It's easy to see why Watson has such an impressive offer list. He's really raw but displays great athleticism, so he seems unlikely to to be an immediate contributor on defense. However, he's the kind of prospect who could get reps right away on special teams while a coach like Papuchis helps to refine his technique and polish him into a defensive wrecking ball at the collegiate level.