Florida Commit Loses 25 Pounds After 449lb Desmond Watson Pays Consequences at NFL

Putting forward a great football season doesn’t just involve sharpening your game skills each year. Athletes, from a young age, have to keep an eye on their weight. Because if the staff isn’t happy with where the arrow lands on the weighing machine, there’s some extra workload waiting. A star Florida commit is cutting down some extra pounds to make the best of his football career. After what happened to Desmond Watson, Billy Napier sure wouldn’t want a repeat of that with his players.

Florida landed the pledge of star IOL G’Nivre Carr. The local prospect has moved about a lot but will finish his prep career at the famed IMG Academy. He picked the Gators over Oregon, UCLA, and even Colorado. Carr tragically lost his father before he was able to make a decision, and that’s where Billy Napier and Co. made the lasting impression. He had also been down to Gainesville the most among his other offers, and that relationship helped Napier seal the deal with Carr. As he wraps up his prep career, the IOL is locked in on dodging as many roadblocks as possible, starting by bringing down his weight.

G’Nivre Carr has shed 25 lbs ahead of his senior season at IMG Academy, reported Tyler Harden. “His mindset in doing so was not only considering his senior season but also his career at Florida,” Harden wrote. The 2026 squad has 6 O-linemen, including Carr. According to Rivals, Carr’s weight is listed at 325 lbs. That means he should be around 300 lbs, since different publications put his weight at different numbers. The main goal for Carr is to start off right away in 2026. “The attitude that I had was, ‘I’m ready right now,’” he told Harden.

Ocala Star-Banner mentions that Carr, fresh after announcing his commitment to Florida, went back to training twice a day, four times a week. “You know, at 100%, that’s what they want me to do, you know. I mean, just be coming and ready with conditioning and stuff like that, and ready to go,” he said. Weight that gets noticeable in a football player quickly gets them on the bad books of observers. When Dylan Raiola debuted in Nebraska in 2024, his weight became a key point among the factors that kept him from unleashing his best. Carr, who has goals to play in the NFL, is working on the essentials right away to improve his chances.

Keeping a watch on the scale should be a priority for players. Because if things go out of hand, there’s a chance they get benched. That is the unfortunate reality for former Gators player Desmond Watson.

Desmond Watson’s weight puts him out of camp at Tampa Bay

Desmond Watson’s weight is a staggering 450 pounds, per the latest info coming in from the Bucs training camp. He stands to be the heaviest player in the NFL when he does get to make the roster. For now, he sits out until he can bring his weight further down. Before his last season with Florida, he was listed at 464 pounds when he began spring camp. But he was able to drastically cut down his weight to 449 lbs as well. HC Todd Bowles expects the same from the DL, who is among the largest players to have played in the FBS.

“It’s just about trying to get him better, to be a healthier player and getting him on the field a little more… He’s working at it, and we’re working with him.” Bowles told the press. His size is one of the reasons why he was a productive player for Florida. Watson recorded 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He can put up quite a show with his physical prowess. During the Gators’ pro day, the DL bench-pressed 36 reps of 225 lb and had a 25-inch vertical. This marks a slow start for Watson’s career, but the Bucs are expecting him back on the field once he sheds those extra pounds.

With Tampa pulling such a move, it sure does put athletes who are known for their size on notice. Florida’s 2026 class consists of more heavyweights, including Desmond Green, who weighs even more than G’Nivre Carr. Size is important to charge through the field or block said charge. But too much of it calls for problems, which begin to add blemishes to the players’ careers.