Omaha (Neb.) Burke wide receiver Xavier Watts has announced his commitment to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound class of 2020 prospect unofficially visited South Bend the weekend of June 21-23 and shut things down, picking Notre Dame over Nebraska.
Rivals.com ranks Watts as the No. 2 recruit in the state of Nebraska. He joins five-star Jordan Johnson and Jay Brunelle as wide receiver commitments for the Fighting Irish.
OFFER LIST: Notre Dame, Michigan, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue
STATS: Watts helped lead Burke to an undefeated season (13-0), capped off by a Nebraska Class A State Football Championship. He caught 67 passes for 1,093 yards and 14 touchdowns. Defensively, Watts recorded 58 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, six pass break ups and five interceptions at safety.
ANALYSIS: "Don't let Watts' three-star ranking confuse you, this young man an is outstanding football player. He's a dominant wide receiver and could be a starting safety at the Power 5 level as well. Watts plays exceptionally fast thanks to a strong burst off the line, top-notch foot quickness and ideal acceleration.
"He can stretch the field due to his speed and downfield ball skills, but he's also a legit after-the-catch weapon, which is what Notre Dame absolutely wants more of in its offense. Watts needs refinement as a route runner, but he's a natural at getting open and shows an incredibly high football IQ." - Blue & Gold Illustrated Football Analyst Bryan Driskell
WATTS ON NOTRE DAME: “The campus is beautiful. Every time I go, it’s super clean. The academics speak for themselves. A Notre Dame degree is life changing. South Bend is just a really chill city.”
COACH QUOTE: “He is a good leader. This past year he led more so by example than his voice. This year he understands that he needs to be more vocal and take a bigger role in that aspect. He’s up to that task … Just spread knowledge of the game to others and help those guys become better themselves.” - Burke head coach Paul Limongi
Notre Dame Commitment List
2020 Commits By Position
1 - Quarterback
1 - Running Back
3 - Wide Receiver
2 - Tight End
2 - Offensive Linemen
4 - Defensive Linemen
0 - Linebacker
3 - Cornerback
0 - Safety
1 - Special Teams
Where Are They From?
1 - Arizona
1 - Colorado
1 - Connecticut
1 - Germany
1 - Hawai'i
1 - Illinois
2 - Kentucky
1 - Massachusetts
1 - Mississippi
1 - Missouri
1 - Nebraska
2 - New Jersey
1 - Pennsylvania
1 - Virginia
1 - Washington, DC
Watts Highlights
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_CoachD, @Rivals_Singer and @EJHollandBGI.
• Like us on Facebook.
