After transferring in from the Ohio State Buckeyes two seasons ago, Texas Longhorns cornerback Ryan Watts is set to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, according to a report from Chip Brown of Horns247.
Watts was brought in from Ohio State to address a need in the secondary, making him one of the first significant transfers that Steve Sarkisian and his coaching staff were able to acquire. After selecting the Ohio State Buckeyes over the Oklahoma Sooners, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the former four-star recruit from Little Elm found himself in Columbus. During his two Big Ten seasons, he played in 19 games as a member of the Buckeyes teams that won conference titles and qualified for the CFP in 2020 and 2021.
He joined the team at Texas and quickly established himself as a starting defensive back, earning honourable mention status for both the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and All-Big 12 teams. Despite missing three games in his sophomore year at Texas due to injury, he maintained his ranking as one of the class’s best corners as the season went on and players like Terrance Brooks and Malik Muhammad started to see more playing time.
As the Longhorns move to the SEC, Texas will have a strong core of defensive backs under leadership from Brooks and Muhammad, who will guide a youthful but skilled group. Texas added Waco Connally’s elite corner Kobe Black to the 2024 class; Black is expected to be an early enrollee and contribute to the plans for the 2024 secondary.
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