Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse-transfer defensive tackle Maraad Watson has been linked to four of college football’s biggest spenders one day after opening his recruitment. Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio State and Texas are among the schools in contention to sign Watson, according to On3, a recruiting service which tracks the transfer wire. A 6-foot-3, 313-pound interior defensive lineman, Watson was named a freshman All-American by 247Sports at the end of the season and is considered one of the top young defensive linemen on the transfer wire. He can play three more seasons under the NCAA’s eligibility rules. Watson was a late signing-day addition to a recruiting class that ranked inside the Top 40 nationally under head coach Fran Brown but became an immediate contributor. An Irvington, New Jersey native, Watson had once intended to sign with Kent State out of high school along with teammate Jahide Lesaine. Brown moved quickly to sign both in the weeks since he got the job late in 2024. Watson made 11 starts at one of the most physically demanding positions as a true freshman last season, finishing with 31 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Watson was the second impact player to leave Syracuse this spring. Trebor Pena, the team’s top-returning receiver, will play for a new school next season after offseason contract negotiations broke down. Pena is ranked as the No. 7 player on the transfer wire, according to ESPN. Watson is ranked No. 10. Neal will sign with SEC school Stanford-transfer cornerback Julian Neal, who visited Syracuse earlier this week, intends to sign with Arkansas. Neal was regarded as one of the top available cornerbacks on the spring transfer wire and the No. 16 overall player, according to ESPN.