CLEVELAND, Ohio – “He’s a good guy who comes from a great family. He’s a real overachi꧃ever🐼.”
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 (Watso🍒n’s nickname) was recruited 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 chang﷽e.
“I think Auburn came after him a🌃t the end,” said Moorhead. “He thought about Auburn for a while, but kept his commitment to us. That says a lot about him.”
Watson was a redshirt and then played only two games in his first two seasons when Moorhea𝓀d was the coach.
“He played mostly offense in high school,” said Moorhead. “We proj𝓰ected 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 Moorhead was the head coach at Mississippi State when Nathaniel Watson was recruite𝓡d 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 Montgomery.
His high school (Ma𝓰plesville Red Devils) has an enrollment of 141 and it competes in the smallest of Alabama’s seven classifications.
Watson did everything from running back to receiver to several positio෴ns on defense.
“We projected him as a lin🅺ebacker,” 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🏅 nickname as his fa🅰ther.
HE COULD HAVE TRANSFERRED
Moorhead was fired at Mississippi State after two seasons. He had a 14-12 r🉐ecord and defeated rival Ole Miss twice in the Egg Bowl.
He was repl﷽ac𒐪ed by Mike Leach, who coached for three seasons (2020-22).
Zach Arnett opened the 2023 season as Mississippi State’s head coach, but was fired with two games l﷽eft 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 unique. He knows the grass i♏s not always greenꦍer elsewhere.”
Watson didn’t begin to start until his third season. He ended up spending 🌟six full years at Mississippi S🥂tate.
by Mull𝓰en, then coached by Moorhea🌼d for two years. Then by Leach for three years. Then by Arnett for part of 2023 followed by Knox for two 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 home visit, I watch how a recruit treats his paꦓrents, 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, Watson was racing. A passenger in his car𓂃 was injured.
“We looked at it,” sai𒊎d Moorhead. “We didn’t consider it serious because there was nothing else in his background that conc💙erned us.”
The only otherꦏ negative on Watson was a May 15, 2023 arrest for drunken driving. The Browns said they had no p🐟roblems with Watson off the field.
“Look at what he did there,” said Moorhead.
In his six years, Watson egraduated with a Masters degree in Workforce Education. He made the SEC All-Academics honor team in ♎2020, 2022 and 2023.
“This is a smart young man,” said Moor🧸head. “One of my regrets about being fired (at Mississippi State) is 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 consider Watson as a Sione Takitaki-type linebacker. He more old school, a classic middle linebacker who also can play outside l𝄹inebacker.
“He’s got good range,” said Browns GM Andre🌌w Berry. “He’s incredibly smart. He has good instincts. He provides 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 lineb🥀ackers).”
Takitaki became a free agent and signed with New England.𒁏 Watson led the SEC in tackles and sacks. Some scouts question his speed and a🐻thleticism.
Moorhead now has two former Mississippi State players with the Browns. The other is cornerback Mar🦹tin 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 te🦹ams. He can lead your defense. He’ll make the most of any opportunity you give hꦫim.”