Arizona commit Q&A: 3-star LB/DE Kwabena Watson

Catching up with the explosive edge rusher

The Arizona Wildcats got a good one when high 3-star outside linebacker/defensive end Kwabena Watson committed.

Watson made the trek to Tucson from Fresno, Calif. near the end of June, and the ‘Cats impressed. In fact, they impressed him and his family so much that he left committed to Arizona.

Read on to see what the talented edge rusher had to say about his senior season and his commitment to the ‘Cats.

How do you feel your season is going so far?

"Well, the season right now is starting slow. We won our first league game, but the past early games, we lost most of them. So it’s starting kind of slow, but we are inching our way up. We are building up slowly."

How would you rate your performance so far this season?

"I can always do better, so I need some improvement. There’s always place for improvement.*

One thing that everyone loves about your game is your ability to shed blocks and get to the quarterback. What else have you worked on this offseason that you think has helped you with your performance?

"Yeah, right now my team has me as a spilling defensive end. So I don’t really rush the quarterback. I’m trying to get back to that. (As for offseason work), I worked on my footwork. I went to three different camps: UnderArmour, Adidas and Nike Opening. And those three camps, they helped me a lot. All of the coaches were different. They all helped my with hand placement, footwork and hip movement. So that was a good impact on my season this year."

MaxPreps doesn’t have your stats updated for the season. What are your recorded stats so far?

"Right now I’m sitting at 10 sacks and (17) tackles for a loss. I don’t know how many overall tackles."

Moving on to your commitment, how is your relationship with the staff going so far?

"The relationship with the staff is real good. I talk to the coaches every now and then, but every time I talk to them there is a good connection."

You committed while on your visit. What stood out about the visit and pushed Arizona over the top?

"The medical facility that they have. That’s what really gave it away. It was a really big part of it. They (Arizona staff) took a seperate meeting during the visit to take me to the medical part. I got to talk to the medical teachers and talk about the undergrad medical program. It was just great."

Which coaches on the staff do you communicate with? Are the coaches recruiting you as a defensive end or more at the Stud position?

"I talk to (head coach Kevin) Sumlin and (safeties coach John) Rushing the most. And they are recruiting me kind of at both, defensive end and rushing."

Have you made any plans to take another visit out to Tucson during the season?

"I plan on going to Tucson during the Arizona-Oregon game, around the end of October."

Are there any other players that you are recruiting to join you at Arizona?

"My little brother. He’s and up-and-coming stud. He is a sophomore right now, starting on varsity. The last game he had two sacks. He was balling out. He plays d-end and he does play some nose (tackle). He just balls around in the front. The (Arizona) coaches are interested in him. They are waiting for him to get to his junior year so they can really start talking."

When you make the move to college, what are you looking at as a major?

"I want to major in medical. I want to go into surgery. When I get older, I want to become a general surgeon. Then I want to transition to trauma."

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Watson is completely different on the field than off of it. Off, he is a polite, well-spoken young man and very humble.

On the field, he is as savage an edge rusher that I’ve seen this year. He plays with violence and explosiveness, which allows him to shed blocks easily. It also allows him to just overpower offensive linemen, which is fun and impressive to watch. Even if he doesn’t make a play, he is disruptive.

Watson’s younger brother, Isa, plays with the same type of motor that Kwabena does. He is a little raw but has all the tools and time to develop before college. I can say, having both brothers on the defensive line would make for a dangerous pass rushing duo.

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