Grad transfer Watson making strong first impression at LB
COLLEGE PARK – Linebacker Tre Watson built his college career during the three years he spent at Illinois as a high-volume tackler for consistently poor teams.
In choosing a landing spot for his final seasonasagraduatetransfer, Watsonwanted to find a system where he could make game-changing plays — and win games.
Through the first four games of the 2018 season, Watson seems to be a perfect fit for Maryland’s defense, and the Terps appear to be satisfying Watson’s wishes.
“Coming in, obviously I got to talk to [linebackers] coach Matt Barnes and everyone and they laid out what was an opportunity to play a role that I felt I comfortable in,” Watsonsaid after Maryland opened Big Ten play with a 42-13 home win over Minnesota on Saturday.
“It was similar to what I did in the past, similar to whatIcansee for myself that I can get out of my skillset. I certainly came in expecting to make an impact. I didn’t come in to sit on the sidelines or be a rotational guy. That’s just not my mentality.”
Still a prolific tackler who leads the Terps with 39, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Watson already has more interceptions (two) than he did in the 29 games he played with the Fighting Illini.
Watson got off to a bit of a slow start Saturday. After making just three tackles in the first half, Watson intercepted Minnesota quarterback Zack Annexstad’s first pass after halftime andreturnedit 36yards for his first career touchdown.
He followed that up later in the third quarter with his first sack as a Terp, one of four Maryland had against the freshman walk-on. Watson finished the game with a team-high11tackles.
Watson, whose interception in the season-opening win over then-No. 23 Texas at FedEx Field was one of three straight turnovers to close game, said that he was waiting on Annexstad’s pass across the middle.
“They had been running that zone pop play on us a few times,” Watson recalled. “They hit it on us on the boundary earlier in the game, but it wasn’t something we were going to let happen again.”
Just as he was against the Longhorns, Watson was the beneficiary of the pressure applied by junior nickel back and safety Antoine Brooks Jr.
NOTE: Canada said after the game that junior running back Lorenzo Harrison III, who sat out the Temple game with an undisclosed injury, could have played against Minnesota, but the performances by senior Ty Johnson (123 yards on 11 carries, including a career-long 81-yard touchdown) and redshirt freshman Anthony McFarland (112 yards on six carries, including touchdown runs of 26 and 64 yards) allowed him to let Harrison to heal completely.