Notre Dame Football: Why Nick Watkins transfer shouldn’t matter

After four years with Notre Dame football, cornerback Nick Watkins has decided to play out his final year of eligibility elsewhere. Here’s why it shouldn’t matter.

In what has come as a surprising announcement to Irish fans, cornerback Nick Watkins has announced that he will finish off his college career with another program. Watkins expressed his appreciation for the school and his teammates in this heartfelt tweet that read:

"First, I want to thank the University of Notre Dame for everything they’ve done for me throughout my career. When I decided to attend Notre Dame, my primary goal was to earn a degree from this prestigious University, and I’m proud to say that I’ll achieve that goal. With that being said, I’ll search for a new school to attend for my last year of college football. I’ll miss all the relationships that I’ve created with the University, including my classmates, professors, and coaches. I’ll especially miss my teammates. They’ve meant so much to me. I’ve grown so much here and I appreciate all the valuable lessons that I’ve learned. Notre Dame will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you again! – Nick Watkins"

While Watkins was never the star of the show at Notre Dame, he displayed a respectable amount of resiliency, earning the starting job in his senior year after missing the 2016 season with a broken ankle. Watkins held his own last year, finishing his Notre Dame career with 37 total tackles, nine passes-defensed, and one interception.

In terms of his transfer’s effects on the team, it was becoming considerably more evident that Watkins was on his way out as a starting cornerback. Given Julian Love’s incredible sophomore season, senior Shaun Crawford’s solidified spot at nickelback, and the rise of  junior Troy Pride Jr., there appeared to be little room for Watkins outside of a backup role.

However, much like the transfer of former starter Jay Hayes, Watkins’ transition shouldn’t matter much to the team as a whole. While a team can never have too much depth, a healthy Irish secondary will be in more than capable hands, Watkins or no Watkins.

As we’ve already witnessed, Love is an absolute force at the position. Despite his small frame, Love was able to keep up with the best of the best last season, racking up 20 passes-defensed, three interceptions, and two touchdowns. Given Crawford’s experience at nickelback, it was field corner or nothing for Watkins.

Pride, Watkins’ main competitor for the team’s No. 2 corner spot, has been on the rise as of late, with head coach Brian Kelly going as far as to say he has been the team’s most consistent corner this spring. Pride began prying the starting job away from Watkins late last year, starting over the latter in each of Notre Dame’s final four games.

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In short, it’s disappointing to see a career-long Irish player head to another program. However, things look pretty good when put in perspective. Given the team’s struggles in the secondary over the last few years, I never would’ve guessed that a player like Watkins would be seeking playing time elsewhere. Oddly enough, this transfer is a good sign for the Irish and the current state of this position.