SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – There are less than 10 days until Notre Dame’s season opener against Texas A&M, and five-year safety Xavier Watts is back with the Irish after an incredible season last year.

In 2023, Watts led the nation with seven interceptions and averaged an interception every other game.

Notre Dame recently announced on social media that Watts will be one of five team captains this season.

With high expectations for the defense, he hopes to build on his impressive performance from last year while also learning from past experiences.

“I definitely think I can do it again,” Watts said. “Last year I probably could have had 10 interceptions that I missed. It’s doable again. I’m not going into this season thinking, ‘Oh, I have to throw seven interceptions again.’ But I want to go out there and dominate and do my best.

“You have to see the whole field,” he added. “One of the biggest mistakes I made was coming in and only looking at one side of the field and the quarterback. You have to see the whole lineup and be able to communicate with your teammates. If you communicate with everyone, everyone is on the same page. If you don’t talk, everyone is confused.”

The Fighting Irish will face the Aggies in College Station on August 31st. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC.

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