The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
11.02.2026 | Football
Biles received his third SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honor, and Watson earned his first career SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week recognition.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 10/11 Texas Football's Rasheem Biles and Maraad Watson earned weekly recognition from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the league office announced Monday. Biles received his third SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honor of the season, while Watson was selected as the SEC's Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for the first time in his career.
The duo led Texas to a 31-3 victory over Mississippi State on Oct. 31 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns limited the Bulldogs to just 187 yards of total offense for just 2.8 yards per play and just three points. Mississippi State was held to 68 yards on the ground and 119 yards in the air. Coming into the game, the Bulldogs had averaged 439.1 ypg and 6.3 yards per play. As a whole, the defense recorded seven sacks and nine tackles for loss.
It marks the second-consecutive week Biles has been named the SEC's Co-Defensive Player of the Week after he was selected on Oct. 26. The senior linebacker earned his first SEC weekly honor of the year on Sept. 7. Biles was selected as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award on Oct. 28.
Watson becomes the fourth Longhorn to earn SEC weekly honors this season, joining Biles, senior offensive lineman Trevor Goosby and senior quarterback Arch Manning.
Biles compiled eight tackles, three sacks for 26 yards lost, four tackles for loss for a total of 27 yards, and two forced fumbles, one of which was returned for a 61-yard touchdown by Watson, as Texas held Mississippi State to only three points in a 31-3 victory. The three points the defense allowed even came following a turnover by the Longhorns offense in their own territory. The Columbus, Ohio product's three sacks and two forced fumbles were both career highs. The three sacks are also tied for the most in a game this year by a true linebacker in the FBS. Both forced fumbles came on the same plays as sacks, the first of which changed the complexion of the game. Just before the half with Texas holding a 10-0 lead, and Mississippi State at the Longhorns' 34, Biles sacked the quarterback and knocked the ball loose. Watson scooped it up and ran it 61 yards for a touchdown to extend to the lead to 17-0 at halftime. Later in the third quarter, after the offense had turned the ball over at the Texas 28 and the Bulldogs had moved it to the 14, Biles made another key play, disrupting what would have been a pass by a receiver to register a sack where the player attempted to get rid of the ball, but the tackle forced him to throw it backwards for a lateral that bounced out of bounds and ended up as a fumble for a loss of 15 yards. Two plays later, Mississippi State kicked a field goal for their only points of the game. Biles had opened the game with a tackle for loss on first down of the series that ended Mississippi State's first possession. Early in the fourth quarter, he produced his third sack, which created a three-and-out and gave the ball to the offense, which scored for the 31-3 final margin. Biles now leads the SEC with three forced fumbles (6th FBS), leads the team with three interceptions (3rd SEC/16th FBS) and seven pressures, and is second in tackles (61), sacks (4), and tackles for loss (9.5), and tied for second in pass breakups (4). The 9.5 tackles for loss are fourth in the SEC and 23rd in the FBS.
Watson, a junior defensive lineman from Irvington, N.J., scooped and scored for the 61-yard fumble return touchdown to go along with three tackles while providing stout interior defense in the victory over the Bulldogs. The fumble return touchdown led to a potential key swing just before the half, pushing the Texas lead from 10-0 to 17-0 after Mississippi State had reached Texas territory. At 6-3, 333 pounds Watson covered the 61 yards in 8.9 seconds to produce the longest scoring play by a player 325-plus pounds in Longhorn history. It also makes him the second-biggest player to score an FBS touchdown this season.
Biles and Watson are a part of a Texas defense that ranks seventh nationally in team sacks (3.25), eighth in team passing efficiency defense (106.91), 10th in total defense (273.1), 10th in defensive touchdowns (2), 12th in passing yards allowed (170.8), 16th in red zone defense (0.750), 19th in scoring defense (17.1) and 24th in rushing defense (102.4).
Up next, Texas hits the road to Columbia, Mo., to take on the No. 19/19 Missouri Tigers at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Faurot Field. The game will broadcast on ESPN with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Kris Budden (reporter) on the call.
