Rece Davis Names a College Football Player Who Will Become a ‘Household Name’ in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Texas Longhorns had another successful offseason taking advantage of the NCAA transfer portal.
Advertisement
Several former transfers became key playmakers for Steve Sarkisian’s squad in the past, including big names like Quinn Ewers, Adonai Mitchell, and Matthew Golden. The Longhorns are hoping the transfer portal luck translates over to this season as well.
Texas landed former Cal tight end Jack Endries and former Stanford wide receiver Emmett this offseason who are both expected to play key roles for Sarkisian’s offense. On the defensive side, ESPN’s Rece Davis believes one particular transfer who has been flying under the radar this offseason could become a household name in college football in 2025.
On ESPN’s College GameDay podcast, Davis revealed that during a recent visit to Austin he asked Sarkisian who could become a household name that fans should get to know. Sarkisian chose former Syracuse defensive tackle Maraad Watson as one player who could have a coming out party in 2025.
Advertisement
Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian.© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The former Freshman All-American will be a key component to rebuilding the interior of Texas’ defensive line this season. The Longhorns also brought in defensive linemen Cole Brevard, Travis Shaw, Hero Kanu, and Lavon Johnson via the transfer portal this offseason.
Watson started 11 games for Syracuse last season, compiling 31 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. He was the No. 6 defensive lineman available via the transfer portal this offseason according to 247Sports.
Advertisement
For Sarkisian to have such high praise for Watson prior to the season kicking off, it sounds like he has a legitimate shot to not only earn a starting role but become one of the nation’s top players.
Related: Where Does Texas’ 2026 Recruiting Class Rank?
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
