Maraad Watson is an American football defensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns. He previously played for the Syracuse Orange.
Early life and high school.
Watson attended Irvington High School in Irvington, New Jersey. As a senior, he totaled 72 tackles and 15 sacks in seven games. Coming out of high school, Watson was rated as a three-star recruit, the 24th player in New Jersey and the 136th defensive tackle in the class of 2024 according to 247Sports. He received offers from schools such as Rutgers, Syracuse, Kent State, Nebraska, and Tennessee. Watson initially committed to play college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes before flipping to pick the Syracuse Orange.
College career.
Syracuse.
In week 14 of the 2024 season, Watson notched six tackles in an upset win over Miami. During the 2024 season, he appeared in 13 games with 11 starts, where he recorded 31 tackles with one and a half being for a loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. For his performance he was named a freshman all-American by 247Sports. After the season, Watson entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.
Texas.
Watson transferred to play for the Texas Longhorns.