Who is Desmond Watson, the heaviest CFB player in 2024? Know more about the Florida DL

Desmond Watson is a college football defensive lineman for the Florida Gators. Weighing in at 449 pounds, he is also regarded as the heaviest player in college football for the 2024–25 season.

Desmond Watson was born and brought up in Plant City, Florida. He attended Armwood High School and was considered a four-star recruit. He got several college offers from teams like Alabama, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, and others but decided to commit to the Florida Gators.

As a freshman during the 2021 season, Desmond Watson reduced his weight from 440 pounds to 400 pounds. He was a key player on defense who played in all 13 games for the Gators while recording seven total tackles.

Entering the 2022 season as a sophomore, Watson gained 15 pounds while retaining his position on the team's defense.

He helped the Gators record a 6-7 overall campaign while tallying a total of 25 tackles, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. His defensive play against South Carolina where he forced, recovered, and returned a fumble on the gridiron, went viral, bringing him a lot of attention.

Last season as a junior, Watson once again played an important role in Florida's defense. He put up 11 total tackles with one sack in a disappointing 5-7 campaign.

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Desmond Watson opens up about expectations for upcoming season with the Gators

According to Graham Hall of 247Sports, the 449-pound defensive lineman is looking to have a spectacular senior season campaign before deciding to go pro. Desmond Watson also talked about focusing on conditioning to improve his stamina so that he can play all four quarters during a game.

"I can play at a high level, but with the way that I was last year and stuff like that, it was hard to sustain. So when they brought extra players I wanted to get down in conditioning and be able to sustain," Watson said. "So I feel like if I can play at my best level for all four quarters, then that will definitely give me a boost to what they see on film," he added.

With Jamari Lyons out because of an injury during scrimmage, Watson will be expected to take up more time in the defensive line rotation along with Cam Jackson.