Texas CB Kenyatta Watson II intends to enter NCAA transfer portal

Texas Longhorns redshirt freshman cornerback Kenyatta Watson II intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from Inside Texas and confirmed by other outlets on Sunday.

The 6’1, 184-pounder from Georgia powerhouse Grayson High School in Loganville, Watson was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class who was ranked as the No. 131 player and No. 16 cornerback, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. A one-time Florida State commit, Watson held more than 40 offers when he committed to Texas in 2018.

The son of a former NFL player, Watson arrived at Texas as an elite athlete — he ran a 4.50 40-yard dash, a 4.12 shuttle, and a 45.2-inch vertical leap. As a freshman, Watson played in four games to preserve his redshirt, recording six tackles and one pass breakup.

Entering the 2020 season, Watson was considered one of the top four cornerbacks on the roster and is listed on the depth chart as the backup to redshirt junior Josh Thompson. However, in the last two games, the rotation has mostly featured junior Jalen Green replacing Thompson or fellow starter D’Shawn Jamison, also a junior.

So it makes sense if Watson was expecting more playing time.

There’s also a chance that Watson could decide to withdraw his name — all five Longhorns players who have entered the NCAA transfer this offseason decided to return to school, a group that includes starters Juwan Mitchell and Denzel Okafor. Myron Warren and Anthony Cook also made similar decisions.