Newsstand: Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts wins national defensive player of the week
Notre Dame senior safety Xavier Watts was named the Bronko Nagurski Trophy National Player of the Week, the Irish posted on the website formerly known as Twitter. The honor is awarded each week to the player with the best defensive performance in the country.
Watts is the second member of the Fighting Irish to receive the honor. Graduate defensive tackle Howard Cross III won it for his 13-tackle, 1-sack, 2-forced fumble game in a 17-14 win over Duke on Sept. 30.
Watts made an impact from the start against the Trojans, intercepting USC junior quarterback Caleb Williams on the game’s first possession and returning it to the Southern Cal 12-yard line. The Irish scored 3 plays later. On the second USC drive, Watts made a key tackle to stop the Trojans short of the first-down marker and force a punt.
Later in the first half, Watts intercepted Williams again, returning it to the 2-yard line. Again, the Irish scored on the next play. In the second half, Watts returned a fumble forced by graduate cornerback Cam Hart 15 yards for touchdown, and on USC’s next possession, he forced a fumble himself. Graduate defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste recovered it, and then the Irish kneeled it out.
Watts and the Irish are back in action against Pittsburgh at 3:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 28 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.
Notre Dame tweets of the day
Watts could win at least one more award for his performance against USC.
Irish guard Sonia Citron is in line for a huge season.
Hocktoberfest is Saturday for a big Irish hockey game.
Quote of the day
“It was a great experience. That was one of the best atmospheres I’ve seen in person. It was crazy and electric. The fans were great, and I loved how the coaches reacted when they made big plays.”
— Four-star 2025 defensive back Dallas Golden on his visit to Notre Dame for the USC game
Headlines of the day
- How sports science helps Notre Dame manage rest, recovery better than ever (Jack Soble, Blue & Gold)
- Notre Dame in the NFL: Kyren Williams plays monster game but suffers injury (Jack Soble, Blue & Gold)
- Four-star DB Dallas Golden breaks down Notre Dame visit (Mike Singer, Blue & Gold)
- How the Irish impressed in-state EDGE target Damien Shanklin during first Notre Dame visit (Kyle Kelly, Blue & Gold)
- Freshman watch: Which Notre Dame players are burning redshirts? (Jack Soble, Blue & Gold)
