Ryan Watts becomes the latest Texas DB to leave for the NFL; what this means for Texas

The offseason reshaping of the Texas secondary continued Sunday when cornerback Ryan Watts announced on his social media accounts that he will give up his remaining year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

Watts, a 6-foot-3, 206-pound senior from the Dallas area, transferred into the Texas program from Ohio State before the 2022 season. He started 23 games over the past two years despite battling a back injury in the second half of this season, and he compiled 88 tackles with six pass breakups and one interception. Watts emerged as Texas’ most consistent coverage man and rarely left the field even in a deep cornerback rotation until his nagging back issue forced him to miss the Big 12 title game and come off the bench in the loss to Washington in the College Football Playoff.

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The latest Longhorns DB to leave

Watts’ departure adds to the overhaul in the secondary, which struggled this season against high-end quarterbacks. Safeties Jalen Catalon and Jerrin Thompson both entered the transfer portal, and senior slot cornerback Jahdae Barron is expected to declare for the draft, although he could return for another year. Along with Watts, all three of those players opened the season as starters.

Rotation safety Kitan Crawford also left in the portal, along with reserve defensive backs X’avion Brice and BJ Allen Jr.

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What’s next for the Texas secondary?

Those departures probably mean some young players will have to step up into full-time roles next season. Freshman Malik Muhammad started at cornerback in place of Watts against Washington and looks like a blossoming star. Terrance Brooks and Gavin Holmes also saw extensive playing time at cornerback and give the Longhorns a solid foundation on the outside.

At safety, Michael Taaffe emerged as a starter late in the season and will return along with freshman Derek Williams II. Sophomore Jaylen Guilbeau has shown the versatility to play multiple positions, and freshman Jelani McDonald looks ready to step into a larger role in the safety rotation.

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In addition, Texas signed multiyear Clemson starter Andrew Mukuba in the portal, and the LBJ graduate will probably start at one of the safety sports or the hybrid “star” role handled by Barron the past two seasons.

In addition, highly ranked 2024 recruits such as safety Xavier Filsaime and cornerback Kobe Black could see lots of action next season.