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Texas "heavily in the mix" for another portal defensive tackle

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•04/19/25•

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Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Hero Kanu. Travis Shaw. Cole Brevard. Lavon Johnson. That’s a quality defensive tackle haul via the transfer portal, but the Longhorns may not be done.

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On3’s Hayes Fawcett reports that Texas is one of the schools “heavily in the mix” and a “school to watch” for Syracuse transfer Maraad Watson.

Watson was a freshman All-American this past season. On his way to 31 tackles and one sack, he notched a Pro Football Focus defensive grade of 65.1 and a run defense grade of 77.4. Most of his snaps were in the B-gap, with 289 plays out of his 493 total from that alignment.

Georgia, Ohio State, and Tennessee are also in the mix, per Fawcett.

A 2024 prospect from Irvington (N.J.), Watson was ranked as the No. 1086 overall prospect, the No. 97 defensive lineman, and the No. 18 player in New Jersey in his class. He is not yet ranked as a portal prospect.

Watson, listed at 6-foot-3 and 313 pounds, appeared in every game for the Orange and started 11 in 2024.

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