Hot Button: Can Notre Dame Steal OU Commit Ryan Watts?
With just a handful of targets left on Notre Dame’s 2020 recruiting board, the Blue & Gold Illustrated staff will be breaking down each one in our ‘Hot Button’ series.
This installment focuses in on four-star Little Elm (Texas) defensive back Ryan Watts.
The Latest
Watts gave Oklahoma a verbal pledge back in April. The four-star prospect loved his official visit to Norman and felt comfortable around the staff and the players on the team. He truly believed it was the right fit.
Several months have passed since Watts pulled the trigger. He remains committed to Oklahoma, but it doesn't appear that he is as locked in as some might think. Watts made a handful of unofficial visits before the dead period, which means this one is far from over.
And according to sources close to Watts, he is legitimately entertaining other options. It will be interesting to see if Watts follows the path of fellow 2020 defensive back Dontae Manning, who recently reopened his recruitment after initially siding with the Sooners.
From a Notre Dame perspective, the Irish are obviously looking to close the 2020 cycle with a splash in the secondary. There has been some minor contact with Watts since The Opening earlier this month, and conversations could progress soon. Watts has been out of the country visiting family in Trinidad and Tobago.
Should Notre Dame Push?
Why the hell wouldn't they?
Watts had legitimate interest in Notre Dame before giving Oklahoma a verbal pledge. In fact, he made his way to South Bend and loved his time on campus. Some close to his recruitment even thought the Irish had taken the lead.
However, Oklahoma got him on campus soon after and knocked it out of the park. Contact between Watts and Notre Dame fizzled following his decision to commit to the Sooners.
As the process has run its course, Watts is becoming increasingly open, and Notre Dame is still in the market to add an elite level defensive back. Right now, the Irish's secondary class is filled with upside prospects.
Stealing Watts away from Oklahoma would be the big get Notre Dame needs to finish off this class with an exclamation mark.
How Can Notre Dame Land Him?
We reported earlier this week that Notre Dame didn't feel it was really in it for Watts at this time. But a lot of that has to do with the dead period and the fact that Watts went out of the country.
For Notre Dame, it is imperative to establish a strong line of communication. Watts was fond of Terry Joseph before he committed to OU, so he, along with recruiting coordinator Brian Polian, need to be in constant contact if the Irish want to become true players in this recruitment.
Notre Dame also needs to utilize its resources. Watts is part of the same 7v7 program that produced Notre Dame freshman defensive end NaNa Osafo-Mensah. I'm told the people around the 7v7 program really like what Notre Dame has to offer.
Of course, getting Watts to campus for a game this fall would be huge. I'm told he would be open to it if Notre Dame decides to get really involved again.
In His Own Words
“I was able to be with the players ( on my official visit) and I’ve built a great relationship with them. I feel really comfortable with them, and I feel like I could be one of them... (Notre Dame) can set me up for life. Any job I want; they’d put me at the front of the line for it."
Coach's Take
"He's a long lengthy defensive back and corner. We do play a lot of man to man, so his skillset is that he is aggressive. He does a great job using his length. He has really good ball skills. From the start of a play, he dominates and has the ball skills to finish a play. I don't think there are too many guys in the state of Texas or even the country that possess his skillset." — Little Elm Head Coach Kendrick Brown
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