16 FEBRUARY 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED
BY PATRICK ENGEL
W
ide receiver-turned-safety
Xavier Watts moonlighting
at his old position for a por-
tion of preseason camp filled
a team need for Notre Dame, albeit at
the expense of individual benefit. Au-
gust provided Watts — at that point a
safety for less than a year — a platform
for a developmental leap at the position
he and the Irish staff saw as the best
long-term fit. Spending half of his time
Watts, a former receiver, went from being the fifth option at safety to starter in a two-month span this season.
PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER
AHEAD OF
SCHEDULE
Safety Xavier Watts' in-season
ascent pushed him into the starting
lineup earlier than expected