Former Notre Dame star safety Xavier Watts is already making a name for himself in the NFL.
The Atlanta Falcons rookie has already been given a nickname by teammates and fellow rookies Cobee Bryant and Billy Bowman Jr.: the X Factor.
Watts was selected in the third round with the 96th overall pick by the Falcons in this past spring’s NFL Draft. The 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner was the second Notre Dame player drafted in two years by the Falcons (JD Bertrand) and the 13th Irish player all-time to be drafted by Atlanta.
During his time in South Bend, Watts had 13 interceptions, which were the most by a Notre Dame player since 1996.
There is a lot of intrigue surrounding Watts in his first pro camp because he was considered one of the steals of the draft. Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is already giving Watts reps with the first-team defense, and All-Pro teammate Jessie Bates III has already called Watts “a hell of a football player.”
A standout rookie season could be on the horizon for the Golden Domer.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.
Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Former standout Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts already shining with the Atlanta Falcons
Reporting by Dave Miller, Fighting Irish Wire / Fighting Irish Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
