Ohio State DB transfer Ryan Watts commits to Texas

The Texas Longhorns filled one of the biggest roster needs via the transfer portal after Ohio State Buckeyes transfer Ryan Watts announced his commitment on Wednesday.

The former four-star recruit from Little Elm committed to Ohio State as part of the 2020 class and played in seven of nine games for the Buckeyes as a true freshman. In his second season, Watts played in 12 games and tied for the team-high with two interceptions on the year. He entered his name in the transfer portal just two weeks after the Buckeyes loss to the Wolverines to end the regular season.

As a recruit, Watts ranked No. 202 nationally, No. 32 in the state of Texas, and the No. 18 safety in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Watts may project at safety for Texas after the departures of Brenden Schooler, BJ Foster, and Chris Adimora left the Horns short on experienced depth. Throw in Tyler Owens, who transferred to Texas Tech, and Texas has lost much of its position room since the start of the 2021 season. And with cornerback D’Shawn Jamison returning for a fifth season, nickel Anthony Cook expected to do the same, and rising junior Jahdae Barron flashing as a backup, the clear need in the secondary is at safety.

So the expectation is for Watts to arrive on the Forty Acres and immediately compete for a starting job on the back end.