Jan. 4, 2026, 3:00 p.m. PT

According to his social media, Sacramento State standout defensive lineman DeSean Watts arrived on Sunday afternoon in Seattle for an official visit to Washington, a significant development as Jedd Fisch and the Huskies aim to address one of the biggest needs in the transfer portal with one of the best players available.

Watts, a 6-foot-2, 318-pound sophomore, emerged at Fresno City Junior College in 2024 after a stellar prep career at Clovis West High School in California, where he recorded 92 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and an interception over three varsity seasons.

In his lone season at the junior college level, Watts nearly matched his sack and tackles for loss total from his high school career, boasting 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks with 21 total tackles in 10 games, which garnered looks from several schools, including Sacramento State.

With the Hornets, Watts quickly grew into one of the best defensive linemen at the FCS level, earning All-Big Sky First Team honors in 2025 after producing 36 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks in 12 games (11 starts) with at least one tackle in every game for Sacramento State.

Since Fisch arrived in Seattle two years ago, the Hornets have had at least one defender transfer make the jump up to the FBS level to the Big Ten school and make a consistent impact.

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In 2024, safety Cameron Broussard started seven games for the Huskies and appeared in 12 games. The 6-foot-3, 193-pound defensive back registered 32 tackles, 3 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in his lone season with the team after earning All-Big Sky First Team honors in 2023.

Like outside linebacker DeShawn Lynch, who made 23 total appearances at UW over the past two seasons with four starts, Watts will have two years of eligibility remaining to use at whichever school he transfers to, which should make him even more of a priority for the staff during his official visit.

Watts graded out as the No. 3-best defensive lineman at the FCS level by Pro Football Focus this past season, earning an 89.4 overall defense grade from the analytics site, tied for first against the run with a 91.6 grade, while also credited with 24 stops and 16 total pressures on 347 total snaps in 2025.

It’s unclear if Watts has other visits scheduled after his trip to Seattle, but if UW can secure his pledge during his time on campus it would be a significant addition for defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, who wasn’t hired until after the transfer portal window closed last year and thus unable to have as much of a role and say in transfer targets as he will have this year.