Wisconsin running backs coach John Settle regularly offers an unflinchingly honest assessment on the strengths and weaknesses of his players. So when he expressed considerable enthusiasm about the prospects of tailback Nakia Watson immediately contributing for the Badgers as a freshman last season, it stood to reason that fans would see Watson on the field early and often.
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During spring practice last year, even before Watson had arrived on campus, Settle brought up his name unprompted in a discussion of Wisconsin’s No. 2 running back options behind starter Jonathan Taylor. Settle noted that Watson’s football IQ was higher than many other running backs coming in from high school and that his ability to learn quickly would prevent him from making a lot of mistakes.
Settle had watched Watson’s highlight film and saw a 5-foot-11, 226-pound ready-made player with the brute strength to barrel through defensive linemen, the athleticism to hurdle defenders at the second level and the speed to run away from secondaries. He believed Watson’s downhill style would perfectly fit into what Wisconsin wanted to do, whether on inside zone or gap schemes.
“My idea was that he would come in right away, be able to pick up everything, pick up our normal down and distance package and go,” Settle recently told The Athletic.
Watson’s high school accomplishments were ironclad. He finished his three-year varsity career with 3,719 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt. He was a first-team all-state selection as a senior at Austin Westlake and helped lead his team to the Texas Class 6A state semifinals. He was the second-highest rated player in Wisconsin’s 2018 recruiting class behind 4-star inside linebacker Jack Sanborn, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Of course, not every freshman learns the nuances required to thrive in the college game at the same pace. And for all of Settle’s excitement about the potential Watson possessed, he recognized once fall camp began that Watson’s development would take more time than initially anticipated.
Settle said Watson needed to make a series of small adjustments and better understand what was asked of Wisconsin’s running backs with the speed of the game and the installation of plays. Terminology was more complex. There were differences in how to line up whether the quarterback was under center or in the shotgun. Maybe the play call Watson learned was similar to another but the footwork differed because of a specific read.
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During one practice in fall camp that was open to the media, Watson stayed afterward and worked exclusively on taking a handoff from a quarterback under center, properly moving his feet and following the appropriate tracks while Settle stood nearby and offered pointers.
“I know that he knew how to take a handoff, but he would put the wrong arm up on the wrong side of the quarterback,” Settle said. “There were a lot of things that were just running together on him, which just lets you know that things need to slow down for him. He needs a little time to get it and he’ll be fine. I was kind of surprised because I thought, ‘Hey, here’s a guy in Texas football, and they play late into the season.’ ”
Watson had hoped to earn carries in a complementary role to Taylor last season. Instead, he did not play a single snap, even though he could have appeared in up to four games and retained his redshirt under a new NCAA rule. He handled that disappointment with humility and an understanding of the bigger picture.
“Not everything goes as planned,” Watson said in December during bowl prep. “Minor setback for a major comeback. I wouldn’t even really look at it as a setback. I look at it like a learning stage.”
Watson still hasn’t been on campus for a full year as he completes the winter workout phase of the offseason. But all of the details he has spent the past several months learning can pay dividends for him when Wisconsin begins spring practice March 26. The Badgers once again are in search of a tailback to help lessen Taylor’s load, and this time, it could be Watson’s turn to fulfill such a responsibility.
There is little doubt that Taylor, who won the Doak Walker Award for nation’s best running back last season, will be Wisconsin’s primary ball carrier. He rushed 307 times for 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore, leading the FBS in carries and rushing yards. But there is some question about how Settle will divvy up carries among the Badgers’ reserves.
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Backup running back Taiwan Deal used up his eligibility, as did senior Chris James, which leaves an opening for opportunities. Deal carried 82 times for 545 yards and six touchdowns. James added 23 rushes for 108 yards with no touchdowns in a more limited role. Wisconsin ranked No. 6 in the FBS last season in rushing yards per game (273.4) thanks largely to Taylor. However, there were still 170 carries that went to the Badgers’ other running backs.
Settle said that Watson and Garrett Groshek, who will be a redshirt junior, would handle the majority of the reps in spring practice. Wisconsin routinely makes positional changes during the spring, and Settle noted the staff may move some players around and evaluate “a couple young guys” at tailback.
Another option is running back Bradrick Shaw, who missed last season while recovering from an ACL injury. Settle said the team hoped to get Shaw back for the spring but that “he’s kind of struggled with an injury that keeps popping up here and there.” Incoming freshman Julius Davis won’t arrive until the summer but could earn carries if he shows progress in fall camp.
Groshek rushed for 425 yards with a touchdown and handled the team’s third-down running back role last season. He also caught 24 passes for 163 yards with a score. While Groshek is a candidate to see more snaps, Watson is as well, potentially in normal down and distance scenarios on first and second down.
Settle said Watson has put himself in position to play because of how he handled last season.
“I think he was realistic about what was happening,” Settle said. “He was like, ‘Hey, I’m not picking it up as fresh as I should and maybe I do need another year.’ I think once that part of it kind of hit home, he embraced it and used the redshirt year as an opportunity to get better in every phase of the game.”
Watson said he picked up quite a bit of knowledge from his first season in the program, particularly about decision-making while carrying the ball at the line of scrimmage. The college game is so much quicker than high school that he said he realized he needed to have confidence in his reads because any second-guessing would wreck the play before it started. He also learned the value of focusing in meeting rooms, listening to veteran players and understanding what his teammates were supposed to do on each play.
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“A lot of people would be like, ‘OK, whatever, I give up,’” Watson said of not playing. “I wake up every day and keep the same mentality like, ‘You’re good. You’ve got this. Just keep going. Your time will come. You’ve just got to wait your turn.’”
During the more trying moments last season, Watson leaned on his teammates, as well as Settle for guidance. In doing so, he gained important lessons.
“Coach Sett is always positive,” Watson said. “He’s never a negative person. When he brings that positive energy, it brings energy to the rest of us. That’s what I learned.
“He always tells us to focus and pay attention to detail, but he says it in such a positive manner, it doesn’t bring you down when he’s getting on you. He’s always smiling. So for him to be smiling like that and getting on you at the same time, it keeps you up.”
Watson’s lack of playing time certainly wasn’t for lack of effort. Settle said Watson tried to follow the blueprint that allowed Taylor to become Wisconsin’s starting running back by game two of his freshman season in 2017. Watson was in consistent communication with Taylor before he arrived on campus, followed the weight room plan once he was in Wisconsin’s system and paid attention to how Taylor prepared and performed. Taylor, meanwhile, was following Watson’s progress as well.
“I think he did a real good job of adjusting to trusting his skill set,” Taylor said. “He can run really well and a lot of times he wouldn’t really trust his speed, trust his skill set. He probably got caught up in the speed of the game. But I feel like he’s meshed real well now and developing and playing with the speed of the game at this level. I feel like next year he’ll be able to add more of his style and flavor to the backfield.”
Settle indicated there wasn’t one specific “a-ha” play involving Watson and that he saw more of a gradual development in his game. But he noted that Watson benefitted greatly from the extra practices he received in December while Wisconsin prepared to play Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Those practices often allow younger players to participate more while starters rest. They also featured full-speed scrimmages, where the defense was forced to tackle Watson rather than simply thudding him up upon initial contact. Watson was able to think less and play more.
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“You could see him during our scrimmages all of a sudden begin to click in, and it was like he finally started to see things and understand things,” Settle said. “He looked like the guy that we recruited off of his high school tape. He was able to show his speed, a little burst, run over people in the second level.
“It was kind of a moment where everybody got excited and said, ‘Wow, this is going to be a great spring.’ So we’re looking forward to watching him continue to develop and give himself a chance to come out and help contribute in the fall.”
What Watson is capable of providing is a player with a punishing approach who could help wear down defenses that already must deal with Taylor on a consistent basis. Watson, who was listed at 231 pounds on Wisconsin’s official roster last season, lettered in powerlifting in high school and enjoys pushing the pile forward. In that way, his skill set could be similar to that of Deal.
“I’m more of a one-cut and go power back,” Watson said. “If I can get around you, I’ll get around you. But I know me. Sometimes it’s not going to always work, so I’d rather run through you.”
Settle said Watson was athletic enough to be a multi-phase player who could contribute on special teams. His physicality, speed to reach the edge and willingness to run between the tackles gives him an excellent opportunity to spell Taylor on occasion. Settle noted Watson has a firmer grasp on his surroundings each play and is talented and strong enough to pass protect.
More and more, Watson is beginning to resemble the player Settle knew he could be a year ago.
“Early on, he was thinking so much that he couldn’t cut it loose and play fast,” Settle said. “That was the one thing that I thought he did as each scrimmage happened. He got faster and faster and more confident in his reads. Now he’s just able to let his athletic ability take over.
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“Now that he’s had time for things to slow down, to kind of get his feet on the ground, get his sea legs so to speak, I think there’s reason for excitement for the upcoming spring because he has a chance to really do some good things for us.”
(Top photo of Nakia Watson by Brandon Harrison / UW Athletic Communications)