On Sunday evening, the Cardinals added more depth to the secondary in the FlyVille22 class with the commitment of Antonio Watts. He is a 3 Star safety from Columbus, Georgia.
1000% Committed To The University Of Louisville🔴⚫️ #GOCards @EronHodges @CoachB_BROWN @CoachBicknell @coachcrimedawg @pete_nochta13 pic.twitter.com/zv4IG6j21U
— TonioWatts (@TonioWatts35) January 30, 2022
The 6’1 180 lbs Watts had offers from Syracuse, East Carolina, and Akron, according to 247sports. He, along with commitment of Jeremiah Caldwell, add to the secondary’s safety group that the Cardinals desperately needed after all the departures from the off season. Welcome to the Ville Antonio Watts!
1000% Committed To The University Of Louisville🔴⚫️ #GOCards @EronHodges @CoachB_BROWN @CoachBicknell @coachcrimedawg @pete_nochta13 pic.twitter.com/zv4IG6j21U
— TonioWatts (@TonioWatts35) January 30, 2022
https://t.co/o6xmskdR5T @Coach_JLett @CoachGasparato @CoachGrantWKU @wesley_fritz @darius_eubanks @CoachMoCrum @Coach_B_Harrell @meconway703 @Coach_Collett @CoachWilsonAKZ @JonnyKovach @247recruiting @RecruitGeorgia @bosswatts1207
— TonioWatts (@TonioWatts35) December 15, 2021
Shawn’s Breakdown:
Antonio Watts is a player that can play safety or corner. As a corner, he’s able to play man to man by himself with no help. Watts is fluid through the hips and able to flip them and get to full speed quickly to keep up with receivers. Watts’ athleticism allows him to go up and high point the football. I really like him in press coverage as he is very physical at the point of attack which is something Louisville needs from that position. His tackling is excellent as he can get a smaller, quicker and big, stronger runners down. The idea of having a corner that can help shut down the run is a wonderful thought as well.
However, I enjoy him at safety as well. He has great instincts and can identify run or pass quickly. In the pass game, he reads the QB primarily and uses the QB’s eyes to lead him to where the pass will be thrown. He breaks on the pass perfectly to intercept it. With the ball in his hands, he’s a dangerous returner that can take a pick to the house. Against the run, Watts attacks down hill. Playing in the box is no issue as he has good strength to shed blocks, but is even better at identifying running lanes and filling them. If he is one-on-one with a running back, he will get him down with a big hit or a big-hitting form tackle. YAC yards are not something Watts will give up often.
Antonio Watts is a nice pickup that I think will likely redshirt, but I could easily see his talent changing that plan. I think UofL could do just as his high school did and utilize him at both safety and corner. I like him best at safety because to me he is best at reading and reacting. As a corner, he wouldn’t be able to do that as much. Still, the physicality and size he possesses is something sorely needed on the outside against wide-outs. In the end, this is another piece that Coach Scott Satterfield and staff can utilize to improve the defense. Don’t let the offers fool you, Antonio Watts is an talented player that seems destined to be a big contributor to the Cards defensive backfield.
