Watson played sparingly in his first two seasons at Mississippi State in
2018 and
2019, recording a combined five tackles, with one going for loss. In the
2020 season, he tallied 39 tackles with three being for a loss, and a pass deflection. In week seven of the
2021 season, Watson had a breakout game posting 16 tackles with one going for a loss, and a sack, though the Bulldogs lost to
#5 Alabama 49–9. He finished the 2021 season with 83 tackles with six going for a loss, five sacks, and a pass deflection. Watson recorded his first interception in week two of the
2022 season, picking off
Jayden de Laura and returning it 51 yards, as he helped Mississippi State beat
Arizona. In week five, Watson had a forced fumble in the redzone in the second quarter, but was later ejected in the second half on a controversial targeting call on quarterback
Max Johnson, though the Bulldogs beat
Texas A&M 42–24. Watson finished his breakout 2022 season with 133 tackles with 12 being for a loss, six sacks, a pass deflection, an interception, and a forced fumble. For his performance, Watson was named second team all-SEC. Watson was named preseason second-team all-SEC ahead of the
2023 season. Watson was also named a preseason fourth team all-American by Athlon Sports. Watson was also named to multiple award watch lists, such as for the
Lombardi Award and the
Bednarik Award. ==Professional career==