Notre Dame Freshman Xavier Watts Provides Impact Talent
Incoming freshman wide receiver Jordan Johnson gets most of the attention at his position, but he’s not the only incredibly talented first-year pass catcher for Notre Dame. Johnson was a five-star recruit and one of the nation’s top pass catchers, while classmate Xavier Watts was considered a consensus three-star recruit and he did not get nearly the fanfare.
The recruiting rankings for Watts tell one story, but his talent and film tell a completely different tale. One says Watts is a mid-level recruit that maybe pans out in time, the other says Watts is an outstanding football player that has a chance to form an incredibly potent one-two punch with his classmate.
Watts had incredibly impressive film, and he graded out as a Top 100 recruit on my board, and his upside grade was just as high as Johnson's. The Omaha, Neb. native was a dynamic offensive player and a standout on defense in high school, so much so that Notre Dame’s defensive staff tried to convince him to play defense for the Irish.
During his final two seasons for Burke, Watts hauled in 163 passes for 2,978 yards and 36 touchdowns and was a big-time playmaker. Even more impressive was how good Watts was when it mattered most, and you saw that with his 47 catches for 796 yards and nine touchdowns in nine playoff games. That included over 100 yards in the state title game during his junior season to lead Burke to its first ever state crown.
Watts also racked up 126 tackles, picked off eight passes and broke up 13 more.
The scary thing about Watts, at least when looking at it from an opponent standpoint, is that he’s not even close to being a polished player. Everything he did in high school was about natural ability, toughness and intelligence. There is a lot Watts must learn about the position, and if he taps into his full potential he could be a star.
Watts must first learn to be more effective at the line of scrimmage, and his route running needs a lot of polish. His frame is impressive and I expect him to fill out quite a bit as he spends time in the Notre Dame strength program.
I like his game at both the field outside receiver position and the slot, where his combination of toughness, vertical speed and after-the-catch ability should give the Irish offense a potential playmaker. Like Johnson, Watts is not going to be a five-year player, so it would be wise for the Irish staff to spend a lot of time coaching him up and trying to find an early role for him on special teams and offense.
Here’s my analysis of Watts as a prep player:
“In my view, Watts is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the country, if not the most. ESPN and 247Sports came around enough to make him a four-star recruit, but Rivals ranks him as a third-star and the No. 89 wide receiver in the country. If there are 88 wide receivers better than Watts then this is the greatest wide receiver class in the history of high school football.
“Watts was a dominant prep player on both sides of the ball. The Burke star finished his career with 163 catches, 2,978 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns. He has been at his best in big moments, with Watts hauling in 47 passes for 796 yards and nine touchdowns in nine playoff games. Watts also registered 126 tackles, eight interceptions and 13 pass break ups the last two seasons as a safety.
“At this point Watts dominates with natural ability. He’s quite raw as a route runner, needing a lot of work with his release against press coverage and his downfield route running. Where Watts thrives from a skillset standpoint is as a pass catcher. Watts had tremendous ball skills thanks to a combination of strong hands, top-level body control, elite concentration when the ball is in the air and excellent timing. Watts has the vision, suddenness and acceleration to be an impact player with the ball in his hands, which is something Notre Dame wants and needs more of in its offense.
“Being an early enrollee will help him get a jump on developing the nuances of the position and will help him continue to reshape his body. Being a two-way player as well as a basketball player at Burke has kept his speed and wide receiver skills from reaching their full potential. He’s just scratching the surface of what he could be.”
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