#95

Eric Watts

Senior defensive lineman for UConn. 2023: 2 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, 34 tackles.

DL · UConn · Sr. · #95

6′5″ · 277 lb · Sumter, SC

CFB Index 35 · #298 of 418 edge rushersLow confidenceUConn 2023 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

WDE recruit

No. 1436 nationally · Signed with Sumter

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 defensive lineman for UConn. 2023: 2 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, 34 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Sumter in 2019.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at UConn, 8 sacks — his college career is complete.

His career

He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

201910 games

Recruited3-star out of Sumter

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1436 national

CFB

College

UConn

2019–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2019–2023

3 coaches

2019

Randy Edsall

UConn

2021

Lou Spanos

UConn

era →

2022–2023

Jim Mora

UConn

era →

Played under 3 different head coaches: Randy Edsall, Lou Spanos, and Jim Mora. Multi-era developmental context.

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2019UConn2-10HC: Randy Edsall · Balanced

2021UConn1-11HC: Lou Spanos · Balanced

2022UConn6-7HC: Jim Mora · Run-heavy, slow tempo

2023UConn3-9HC: Jim Mora · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

35Below cohort / limited sample #298 of 418?

Medium confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles for loss (87th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Tackles for loss#338 / 2842 · 87th pct

6.5

Sacks#517 / 2842 · 78th pct

2.0

Tackles#1113 / 2842 · 60th pct

QB hurries#902 / 2842 · 58th pct

Solo tackles#1244 / 2842 · 55th pct

Passes defended#1113 / 2842 · 50th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home4g	3.8	0.4	0.0	0.0
Road6g	3.2	0.8	0.3	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	2.6	0.5	0.2	0.0
Weeks 8+5g	4.2	0.8	0.2	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Jason Candle

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Part-time starter

Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

35 · #298 of 418 edge rushers

Three-star recruit. Now #298 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	UConn	34	17	6.5	2.0	1	--	--
2022	UConn	41	14	7.5	6.0	--	--	--
2021	UConn	40	17	6.0	0.5	--	--	--
2019	UConn	30	11	0.5	0.0	--	--	--
Career		145	59	20.5	8.5	1	--	--

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 14-24vs NC State	5	2	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	L 14-35@ Georgia State	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	L 7-41vs Duke	3	2	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 33-34vs Utah State	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 38-31@ Rice	1	1	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 21-24vs South Florida	6	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	L 14-21@ Boston College	7	3	1.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 7 tackles
Wk 10	L 3-59@ Tennessee	3	2	1.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 11	L 6-44@ James Madison	2	1	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 31-18@ Massachusetts	3	2	1.0	1.0	—	0
Total		34	17	6.5	2.0	—	1

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Eric Watts

201910 games

2023 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Part-time starter

Career stats

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Two-Gap Base

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