Syracuse defensive lineman Maraad Watson signs with Texas out of transfer portal

Syracuse defensive lineman Maraad Watson has signed with Texas out of the NCAA transfer portal. On3’s Pete Nakos reported the news.

Watson spent just one season with Syracuse but had a sizeable impact in that time. He was named a 247Sports Freshman All-American for his performance.

Maraad Watson rang up 31 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, 1.0 sacks and a pass defended during his lone year with the Orange. That was excellent production for a first-year player.

In addition to his production, Watson proved he could be relied on as an every down player in the middle. He started 11 games at defensive tackle.

Better yet, Maraad Watson was playing his best football toward the end of the year. He recorded 15 tackles in his last three games, roughly half of his tackle production for the entire season.

Prior to enrolling at Syracuse, Maraad Watson was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 1,086 overall recruit in the class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 97 defensive tackle and the No. 18 overall player from the state of New Jersey, hailing from Irvington (NJ) Irvington.

Texas signs a transfer tight end

Maraad Watson isn’t the only addition at Texas via the transfer portal. Cal transfer tight end Jack Endries signed with Texas, On3’s Pete Nakos has learned. He led the Golden Bears in receiving yards last season.

Endries had a team-high 629 yards in 2024 to go with two touchdowns as a sophomore. That came after a solid freshman season in 2023 when he hauled in 35 catches for 407 yards and two touchdowns.

After entering the transfer portal, Endries became the No. 110 overall player and No. 4-ranked tight end to do so this cycle, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.