CLEVELAND, Ohio – “He’s a goo💧d guy who comes from a great family. He’s a real overac𓆏hiever.”
That’s what Joe Moorhead had to say about Nathaniel Watson, the Mississippi State linebacker drafted by the Browns in the sixth round.
Now the head football coach at Akron, Moorhead had that job at Mississippi State in 2018.
“Bootie (Watson’s nickname) was reಌcruited by Dan Mullen,” said Moorhead. “When Dan✅ went to Florida and I was hired, I took over his recruiting.”
🐎Watson stayed with Mississippi State following the coaching change.
“I think Auburn came after him at the end,” said Moorhead. “He thought about Auburn for a while, but kept his commitment to us. That says a lot aboಞut him.”
Watson was a redshirt aꦺnd then play𝐆ed only two games in his first two seasons when Moorhead was the coach.
“He played mostly offense in h♉igh school,” said Moorhead. “We p💟rojected him originally as a tight end. He came from a small town, really small. I loved his family and I really was impressed with him.”
Akron football coach Joe Moorh💝ead was the head coach at Mississippi Sta🍌te when Nathaniel Watson was recruited to the SEC school.
A SMALL TOWN GUY
Watson is from Maplesville, Alabama. The population is 656 as of the 2024 ꧅census. It’s located between Tuscaloosa and Montgom꧙ery.
His high 🧔school (Maplesville Red Devils) has an enrollment of 141 and it competes in the smallest of Alabama’s seven classifications.
Watson did everythingꩵ from running back to r🅺eceiver to several positions on defense.
“We projected him as a linebacker,” said Moorhead. “Because he went to such a small school, he needed time to develop to play Division I꧋. He just kept working at it.”
Nathaniel “Bootie” Watson has the same nickn🎀ame as his father.
HE COULD HAVE TRANSFERRED
Moorheadꦅ was fired at Mississippi State after two seasons. He had a 1𓄧4-12 record and defeated rival Ole Miss twice in the Egg Bowl.
He was replaced by Mike Leach, who coached for three season🙈s (2🐭020-22).
♏Zach Arnett opened the 2023 season as Mississippi State’s head coach, but was fired with🔯 two games left in the season. Interim head coach Greg Knox finished the season.
Why go through all the Mississippi State coaches?
“Because Bootie stayed through all of them,” said Moorhead. “That’s uniqu﷽e. He knows the grass is not always greener elsewhere.”
Watson didn’t begin to start until his third season. He ended up spending six full 🌸years at Mississippi Stateಌ.
by Mullen, then coached by Moorhead for two 💦years. Then by Leach for three years. Then by Arnett for part of 2023 followed by Knox for tꦡwo games.
That’s five coaches involved with Watson.
Nathaniel Watson was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.AP
MOORHEAD CONSIDERS WATSON ‘SPECIAL’
“When I make a hꦛome visit, I watch how a recruit treats his parents, especially his mother,” said Moorhead. “Bootie was polite. 🗹You can tell he comes from a good family.”
After he agreed♌ to come to Mississippi State, W🐷atson was racing. A passenger in his car was injured.
“We looked at it,” said Moorhead. “We didn’t consider it serious because there was nothing else in his backꦛground that concerned us.”
The only other negative on Watson was a May 15, 2023 arrest for drunken driving. The Browns said they had no probl🔥ems with Watson off the field.
“Look at what he did there,” said Moorhead.
In his six years, Watson egraduated with a๊ Mastersꩲ degree in Workforce Education. He made the SEC All-Academics honor team in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
“This is a smart young man,” said Moorhead. “One of my regrets about being fired (at Mississippi State) isꦑ that I didn’t get a chance to coach him and others in that recruiting class. He’s the kind of person you love to coach.”
WHAT IS WATSON’S FUTURE?
The Browns ꦬconsider Watson a🧸s a Sione Takitaki-type linebacker. He more old school, a classic middle linebacker who also can play outside linebacker.
“He’s got good range,” said Browns GM Andrew Berry. “He’s incredibly smart. He has good instincts. He provideཧs a diverse profile in that linebacker room because he does have a little bit more strength and power at the point of attack (than the other linebackers).”
Takitaki became a free agent and signed with New England.ℱ Watson led the SEC in tackles and sacks. Some scouts question his speed and athleticism.
Moorhead now has two former Mississippi State players with the Browns. The other is cornerback🐽 Martin Emerson Jr., a third-round pick in 2022 who quickly became a starter.
“Bootie played in the SEC and was the 🃏Defensive Player of the Year,” said Moorhead. “That says a lot. He will figure it out. He can play special teams. He can lead your defense. He’ll make the most of any opportunity you give him.”