The Longhorns landed an instant-impact interior defensive lineman who also has three years of remaining eligibility.
Another Forty Acres truism proved true on Tuesday.
If the Texas Longhorns are going to land players from the NCAA transfer portal, they commit and sign in Austin and that’s exactly what happened on a visit from former Syracuse defensive tackle Maraad Watson, who is now a Longhorn in a huge coup for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff.
BREAKING: Syracuse true freshman standout DL Maraad Watson has signed with Texas, @PeteNakos_ reports https://t.co/tSyzfcYGpO pic.twitter.com/PvEkXRwTIG
— On3 (@On3sports) April 22, 2025
Watson has three years of eligibility remaining.
In the current age of the transfer portal, things happen quickly, with staffs identifying potential targets before they enter the portal and, ideally, securing them quickly.
It worked that way for the Longhorns and general manager Brandon Harris, a rising star in the industry, as Watson only set one visit, arrived in Austin on Monday evening, and ended his portal recruitment on Tuesday by inking what is surely a significant NIL deal that likely reaches into seven figures for the 2025 season.
With the influx of revenue into the sport in anticipation of revenue sharing this year, that’s the going price for an impact defensive tackle like Watson, who was receiving interest from schools across the country with Georgia, Ohio State, and Tennessee also in the mix, according to a report on Saturday, hours after Watson entered the portal.
The 6’3, 313-pounder projects as a starter for Texas in 2025.
A consensus three-star prospect ranked as the No. 1,212 player nationally and the No. 128 defensive lineman, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Watson has already overachieved compared to the perceptions of him as a recruit. It’s also notable that the Volunteers have a pre-existing relationship with the Irvington (N.J.) prospect after hosting him on an official visit during the 2024 cycle. Watson also held offers from Nebraska and Rutgers, along with a number of non-Power Four schools.
As a true freshman, Watson made 11 starts and appeared in every game for the Orange, earning Freshman All-American honors from 247Sports after recording 31 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry on the year.
Watson is the fourth defensive tackle Texas has added from the portal this year to address a pressing roster need following the departures of eight players from defensive line coach Kenny Baker’s interior group, including four who exhausted their eligibility and another four who entered the portal during the winter window.
The Longhorns are now projected at 84 scholarships for the fall ahead of the portal closing on Friday.
Given Watson’s ability to contribute early for the Orange, he’s both the biggest-impact player and the one who could spend the most time on the roster, making him one of the rarest commodities in the portal — a premium player with eligibility remaining at a super-premium position.