Irish CB Target Ryan Watts 'Handles Business On And Off The Field'
Notre Dame recently jumped in the mix for Ryan Watts, a 6-foot-3, 186-pound cornerback from Little Elm (Texas) High.
According to Little Elm head coach Kendrick Brown, Notre Dame would be adding an outstanding player should they eventually land Watts.
“Ryan is a guy that has a lot of length,” Brown told Blue & Gold Illustrated. “All year, teams avoided him, but he was very physical at the line of scrimmage and he does a great job of getting people out of their paths.”
Watts didn’t have a lot of chances to make big plays during his junior season, but that was no fault of his own.
Brown said teams rarely took the risk of throwing toward the Little Elm standout.
“He discouraged a lot of teams from throwing his way,” Brown said. “Even when they did throw his way, I think he gave up one completion all year long, so he plays the pass really well.”
Even without teams throwing toward Watts, the three-star still was able to make an impact thanks to his range and wide coverage of the field.
“He takes away half of the field,” Brown said, “Even when the ball is going away from him, his length disrupts, and you can see that on video. I think a lot of teams are very impressed by him in that regard.”
Those abilities combined with his size, Brown said, make Watts a perfect cornerback prospect for schools across the country.
“The style of play he plays, and plays really well, is something most of the big programs at the collegiate level are playing,” Brown said. “He’s a press cover corner, and he can play zone and man from the press technique, which is what a lot of teams like to do.”
As for Notre Dame, Brown said Watts’ personality and style of play would make him a perfect fit in South Bend.
“He’s a good guy,” Brown said. “We had a fundraiser a few weeks ago and he was one of our leaders and one of our hardest workers during that project. Academically, he’s very solid. He handles business on and off the field.”