Notre Dame’s already loaded offensive recruiting haul just got better, with the Fighting Irish landing a commitment from Omaha (Neb.) Burke wide receiver Xavier Watts.
From the moment he landed an offer from the Irish staff in January, Watts became a major priority target. Notre Dame fought hard to add his commitment, beating out in-state Nebraska and Michigan for his pledge.
That hard work by the staff paid off in the end.
“Just how bad they wanted me, and it showed,” Watts said of what stood out about Notre Dame’s recruiting pitch. “Also, the future, you can’t go wrong with a degree from Notre Dame.”
For the Fighting Irish staff, pushing for Watts was part what he brought on the field and part how he would fit in at the university.
“Just overall as a person and my abilities to play football,” Watts explained of the message from the staff. “How they see me fit into their offense with my ability to make plays and academics. Then my character and how it fits into their culture.”
Watts made his first visit to Notre Dame the weekend of Sept. 29 when the Irish took on Stanford. No matter how hard other schools pushed, from that weekend the Irish continued to remain in strong position to land the talented wideout.
“When I was walked around all the people I saw were having a good time,” Watts said of that first trip to South Bend. “It was a high energy environment, everyone was nice and welcoming.”
The Irish offense rolled to 550 yards in a 38-17 win over the Cardinal, and quarterback Ian Book passed for 278 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Miles Boykin hauled in 11 passes for 144 yards and a score. Watts took notice of how the Irish offense operated that night.
“The offense was smooth and they dominated,” Watts noted. “What I liked most was when Miles Boykin caught one pass and (the coaches) noticed the corner couldn’t guard him so they kept hitting him like three times in a row.”
Watts is a two-way standout for Burke, hauling in 67 passes for 1,093 yards and 14 touchdowns as a wide receiver, and racking up 58 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, six pass break ups and five interceptions while leading the Bulldogs to a perfect 13-0 record and a Nebraska Class A state championship.
When Notre Dame first started evaluating Watts, coaches on both sides of the ball wanted him in the class. In the end, Watts wanted to play offense, and the reason why is yet another factor in why the staff wanted him in the class.
“Both are fun, but offense is just more fun to score touchdowns and block for your teammates,” Watts explained. His ability to make plays with the ball in his hands is something the staff wants to add more of to the roster.
When Watts began the recruiting process, the plan was to wait until the fall of his senior season to make his decision. The two-way star initially wanted to take official visits, but that plan changed once he realized Notre Dame was ultimately where he wanted to be, and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long and wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander were thrilled with his decision.
“I just felt the time was right and they were really recruiting me hard and wanted me bad, so I knew it was time,” Watts explained. “They were both super excited and relieved when I committed. They welcomed me to the family.”
Notre Dame has been the leader for Watts for quite some time, but that didn’t make turning down Nebraska any easier. Watts is listed by Rivals as the No. 2 overall player in the state.
“It was hard. It’s close to home and family can come to every game,” Watts said of the pull to stay in-state. “But the opportunity to play for Notre Dame is hard to pass up. The football and education is too good.”
With the decision now over, Watts can focus on leading his team to another state championship and getting ready for his career at Notre Dame.
“It’s really relieving and exciting to start a new chapter in (my) life,” Watts said. “This is my final decision.”
Watts becomes the 17th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2020 class and the third wide receiver. He joins St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet five-star wideout Jordan Johnson and Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John's pass catcher Jay Brunelle in the class.
Watts earned a four-star grade with a five-star upside grade on the BGI Big Board.
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