Mississippi State star football player arrested

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Juliet Brown

Maplesville native and Mississippi State football star Nathaniel Watson was arrested Sunday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to Oktibbeha County Jail records. This is the second time Watson’s run into legal issues after getting a felony assault charge and traffic violations following an alleged drag racing incident in 2018, according to the Clarion-Ledger.

The former 3-Star recruit committed to MSU when in 2017 when Dan Mullen was head coach. He appeared in two games his freshman season before redshirting. His playing time increased gradually, but 2021 was when Watson became an impact player.  He started 12 games and finished second on the team with 84 total tackles and five sacks. Last season, Watson appeared in 13 games, starting 12 of them, and finished second in the SEC with 113 tackles. He also led the team with 12 tackles for loss and six sacks.

The sixth-year senior decided to return for the 2023 season and use his final year of collegiate eligibility.