- TKL
- 373
- TFL
- 35
- SACKS
- 21
Career totals · 6 seasons with stats
Scouting Report
Watson was a first-team all-conference pick in 2023. Watson was also named Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
In the Mississippi State record book, Watson ranks No. 7 in career sacks and No. 7 in career tackles.
From 2018 to 2023, Watson recorded 373 tackles, 35 tackles for loss and 21 sacks. From 2022 to 2023, Watson also had 2 interceptions.
Watson was the No. 206 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In 17-0 that career earns a 88 overall, the highest linebacker rating at Mississippi State since 1990 and No. 8 among all linebackers of the 2020-2024 era.
Honors & Awards
- 2022
- Second-team all-conference
- 2023
- Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year
- First-team all-conference
- 2024
- No. 206 overall pick, NFL Draft
Season by Season
| Season | Tkl | TFL | Sacks | PD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 83 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 109 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 137 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 373 | 35 | 21 | 4 | 2 |
Seasons with tracked stats at Mississippi State. Coverage starts in 2006; tackles, sacks and passes defended start in 2016 (shown as – before then).
Mississippi State Record Book
- No. 7 in career sacks
- No. 7 in career tackles
Top-10 entries in the program's career and single-season lists.
Mississippi State Teammates
Top Linebackers of the 2020-2024 Era
Sources: Wikipedia (Nathaniel Watson) and its All-America, all-conference, award and program statistical-leader pages; season statistics and NFL Draft data from CollegeFootballData.com. Ratings are 17-0's own estimates, graded within each era. How ratings work.