Fran Brown lost a key cog to his defensive front on Friday as defensive tackle Maraad Watson is set to enter the transfer portal, sources tell Rivals analyst Adam Friedman. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound athlete will have three years of eligibility at his next landing spot.

Expect that sweepstakes to be a heated one after a stellar year one.

Watson started 11 games at defensive tackle in 2024 and posted 31 tackles, 1.5 of which were for loss, one sack, 10 quarterback pressures, and three batted passes.

Watson was formerly committed to Kent State before picking the Orangemen. He also considered Rutgers, Nebraska and Tennessee, among others.

The former three-star prospect in the Rivals 100, recorded 72 tackles and 15 sacks during his senior season at Irvington High School (N.J.).

Stay locked in on the Rivals Transfer Tracker to keep up with the latest transfer news, portal entries, commitments, and rankings. For a deep-dive into the transfer portal, make sure you visit the Rivals Transfer Search page.

The Rivals Transfer Portal X account is a must-follow for any college football fan.

The spring college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on April 16th, 2025 for 10 days. It is the second transfer window of the 2025 recruiting cycle. The winter college football transfer portal window opened on December 9th, 2024 for 20 days. There was also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team finished postseason play. Additionally, players get a 30-day window to transfer when their head coach leaves.