Florida is going to need every ounce of effort from its roster to survive a gauntlet of a schedule this season.
The Gators started their season with Miami on Saturday, but that's just the start. Florida faces Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee, Florida State and Texas A&M in 2024, giving Billy Napier's squad eight games against preseason top-25 teams.
If Napier is looking for someone who can strike fear into opponents, that player might be defensive lineman Desmond Watson. The senior is college football's heaviest player, and he's poised for his largest role yet in 2024.
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 has 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble through 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 against Miami in Week 1 this season, and his presence as a run-stuffer is set to be important for the defense all year long.
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
| Season | Games | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | Forced fumbles | INT |
| 2021 | 13 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 | 25 | 0 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 38 | 43 | 1.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |