Unanimous All-American safety Xavier Watts has elected to return to the Fighting Irish for the 2024 season. Winner of the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s best defensive player, Watts shared the announcement on social media, saying simply “Run it back.” The declaration came just days after Notre Dame defeated Oregon State 40-8 in the Sun Bowl.
A standout on the Irish defense, Watts led the nation with seven interceptions in 2023. He had 52 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery on the year. It was quite a season for a player who started as a wide receiver when he arrived at Notre Dame. Watts transitioned to the defense in 2021. The 2024 season will mark his fifth and final season with the program.
Xavier Watts an X-Factor on a Stacked Irish Defense
In addition to Watts, the Notre Dame defense is returning multiple standouts, including three of its top four tacklers. Fellow All-American Howard Cross III, as well as defensive tackle Rylie Mills, linebacker Jack Kiser, and defensive end Jordan Botelho will also return. And Watts will be joined in the secondary by shutdown cornerback Benjamin Morrison. Cross had 66 tackles with seven for loss in 2023. He had a pair of forced fumbles and was second-team All-American. Mills had 47 tackles in 2023 with 5.5 for loss, including 2.5 sacks. Kiser recorded 62 tackles with 1.5 sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble. Botelho had 32 tackles with 4.5 for loss, including four sacks.
Watts had a national breakout performance against the USC Trojans on Oct. 14. In a game won by Notre Dame, 48-20, Watts intercepted Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams twice. Both picks set up touchdowns. Adding an exclamation point to his exceptional performance, Watts scored a touchdown of his own late in the dominating victory, returning a fumble for a touchdown. The Notre Dame defense shined again in the Sun Bowl, nearly pitching a shutout in the runaway victory over the Beavers.
Star Power
Despite the departures of DJ Brown and Thomas Harper to the NFL Draft, and losing Ramon Henderson in the transfer portal, Notre Dame has plenty of reasons to celebrate the return of Xavier Watts. His valuable experience and veteran leadership will anchor a stout Irish defense in 2024. The already formidable unit will also feature incoming transfers RJ Oben, a defensive end from Duke, and Jordan Clark, a defensive back from Arizona State. While star power will be immense for the Irish next season, the main reason to rejoice is that Watts’ return means the Irish will have the best defensive player in college football on the roster for another year.
