Who is No. 21 on the Florida Gators? Desmond Watson draws attention as biggest player in college football

Dan Treacy

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Who is No. 21 on the Florida Gators? Desmond Watson draws attention as biggest player in college football image

Florida faced a gauntlet of a schedule in 2024 but seemingly improved week-by-week, getting stronger as the year went on and winning eight games to save Billy Napier's job.

The SEC is all about superior size and strength, and the Gators certainly have some of each. There is no better example than defensive lineman Desmond Watson. The senior is college football's heaviest player, and he played his largest role yet in his final collegiate season.

Watson got to finish his career with a bang in the Gasparilla Bowl, getting an offensive carry and taking it for a first down against Tulane. 

Here's what you need to know about Florida's massive presence on the defensive line.

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Who is No. 21 on the Florida Gators?

No. 21 for Florida is indeed defensive lineman Desmond Watson, and he's hard to miss. The senior towers over his teammates on the Gators' defense, along with many of the offensive lineman he goes up against. 

Watson was a 3-star recruit out of Armwood High School in Seffner, Fla. in 2021, staying in-state and committing to Florida. He never transferred, instead sticking it out with the Gators despite coach Dan Mullen being replaced by Napier after the 2021 season.

Watson had 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble through his first three seasons of play. His size got him on the field early, as he appeared in all 13 games as a reserve in his freshman season, and Napier elevated him to a starter in 2022.

While Watson's role was scaled back a bit in 2023, he saw the field early and often throughout the 2024 season. 

Desmond Watson Gasparilla Bowl carry

With Florida up big on Tulane, Watson got a chance to play some offense in the Gasparilla Bowl. The defensive lineman picked up a first down for the Gators, using nothing but power to get it.

An image you don't see very often, courtesy of Florida:

How much does Desmond Watson weigh?

Watson stands at 6-5 and is listed at 449 pounds, making him the biggest player in college football.

This kind of size isn't new for Watson, who was listed as 380 pounds in high school and jumped to 400 in his freshman season at Florida. He actually was listed as 464 pounds on Florida's spring roster earlier this year but evidently slimmed down just a bit ahead of the season.

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No player on Florida's roster is even within striking distance of Watson's weight. The next-heaviest player is defensive lineman Sebastian Scott, who is listed at 354 pounds. 

Former TCU offensive lineman Brione Ramsey-Brooks was college football's biggest player in 2023 at 455 pounds, but he left the program after the season and recently committed to play at the JUCO level. 

Desmond Watson stats

SeasonGamesTacklesSacksTFLForced fumblesINT
20211370.5100
202213250210
202312111100
2024121900  
Career50621.5410

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.