Bryce Watts

Junior defensive back for Massachusetts. 2021: 1 interception, 4 pass breakups, 43 tackles.

DB · Massachusetts · Jr. · #2

6′0″ · 175 lb · Toms River, NJ

CFB Index 38 · #360 of 509 safetiesLow confidenceMassachusetts 2021 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

CB recruit

No. 876 nationally · Signed with Virginia Tech

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

3 defensive back for Massachusetts. 2021: 1 interception, 4 pass breakups, 43 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Virginia Tech in 2017.
Transferred from North Carolina to Massachusetts in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Massachusetts, 70 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

20175 games

Signed with Virginia Tech3-star out of Toms River North

202110 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#876 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2017–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2017–2021

2 coaches

2017–2018

Mark Whipple

Massachusetts

2021

Alex Miller

Massachusetts

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Mark Whipple → Alex Miller. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2017Virginia Tech9-4HC: Justin Fuente · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2018Virginia Tech6-7HC: Justin Fuente · Run-leaning

2021Massachusetts1-11HC: Alex Miller · Run-leaning, slow tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

38Below cohort / limited sample #360 of 509?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (86th percentile). Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#310 / 2743 · 86th pct

Solo tackles#764 / 2743 · 71st pct

Tackles#813 / 2743 · 70th pct

Interceptions#320 / 824 · 31st pct

Tackles for loss#1821 / 2743 · 28th pct

1.0

QB hurries#1413 / 2743 · 24th pct

Sacks#1435 / 2743 · 24th pct

0.0

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

2021 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home4g	5.2	0.0	0.0	0.8
Road6g	3.7	0.2	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	4.8	0.2	0.0	0.8
Weeks 8+5g	3.8	0.0	0.0	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Joe Harasymiak

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

Awards

Player standing · 2021

Part-time starter

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

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

38 · #360 of 509 safeties

Three-star recruit. Now #360 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	Massachusetts	43	26	1.0	4	1	--
2018	Virginia Tech	22	22	0.0	6	1	--
2017	Virginia Tech	5	4	0.0	1	--	--
Career		70	52	1.0	11	2	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 6 · 2021

W 27–13

vs UConn

1 PD · 3 SOLO · 5 TOT

With G. Georgopoulos — 41 AVG · 49 LONG · 6 NO · E. Merriweather — 171 rush yds (39 car) · 2 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 7-51@ Pittsburgh	6	6	1.0	—	1
Wk 2	L 28-45vs Boston College	3	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	L 3-53@ Coastal Carolina	3	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 7-45vs Toledo	7	3	0.0	—	2	Season-high 7 tackles
Wk 6	W 27-13vs UConn	5	3	0.0	1	1
Wk 8	L 3-59@ Florida State	4	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	L 17-62@ Liberty	1	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	L 22-35vs Rhode Island	6	4	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 17-33@ Army	5	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 27-44@ New Mexico State	3	2	0.0	—	0
Total		43	26	1.0	1	4

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