FORNEY, Texas — North Forney High School alumni Armani Watts was named, among other pre-season accolades, to the SECCountry.com Southeastern Conference Top 101 list, as compiled by 20 SEC-area writers and five NFL draft experts.
FORNEY, Texas — North Forney High School alumni Armani Watts was named, among other pre-season accolades, to the SECCountry.com Southeastern Conference Top 101 list, as compiled by 20 SEC-area writers and five NFL draft experts.
Watts, going into his junior year at Texas A&M, is also one-of-five Aggies recently named to the preseason All-Southeastern Conference football team in July as a third-team defensive back. He was also among a list of players on the 22nd annual Chuck Bednarik Award watch list which has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995.
“There are few better tacklers in the conference,” according to SECCountry.com’s ranking. “Watts led the Aggies with 126 last year (including 20 in one game against Ole Miss), and he has 170 after two seasons in College Station.”
“The smallish playmaker has not been much of a force in pass coverage — only 1 interception and 11 pass breakups in 25 career games — but that’s partially because of his aggressive run-stuffing approach,” stated the website.
As a freshman, in 2014, Watts beat out a senior for the free safety job in fall camp and went on to accumulate 59 tackles, 38 solo, a two for a loss, according to 12thman.com, Texas A&M’s athletic website.
As a sophomore, in 2015, Watts led the Aggies with 126 tackles on the season and became the first Aggie to reach 100 tackles since 2010 and the first defensive back to do so since 2003. Watts had a career-high 20 tackles, six for a loss, against Ole Miss which tied for the school record for fifth-most in a game.
The Aggies are preparing for their first matchup against UCLA scheduled for Saturday, September 3, 2016, at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, at 2:30 p.m. The game will be aired on CBS and TAMUSN Radio.
Armani Watts Fall Camp interview, August 17, 2016.