GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Times of India, which covers cricket the way ESPN reports on the NFL, broke from its regular coverage Friday morning to post a story on Gators defensive lineman Desmond Watson.

Underneath a scroll that featured trending topics such as the Asian Wrestling Championship and the Lucknow Super Giants – a cricket team in the Indian Premier League – Watson garnered attention on the website of one of the world’s most-read English-language daily newspapers.

The headline: Florida’s Desmond Watson wows scouts with incredible Pro Day performance.

News travels fast in the 21st Century, and Watson’s story is so deeply layered that cricket fans in India probably understood why he appeared in the news from more than 8,000 miles away. If not initially, then certainly when they read that Watson measured 6-foot-6 and 464 pounds.

“He’s a unicorn,” Gators coach Billy Napier said at UF’s Pro Day on Thursday. “You’ll go the rest of your career, and you’ll never be around a guy that’s that stature.”

Watson has fascinated Gators fans since he joined the program in 2021, part of former head coach Dan Mullen’s final recruiting class. He began to gain notice as a talented player at Armwood High in Seffner, a few miles outside Tampa. Watson has always been the biggest guy on the team and was listed at 385 pounds out of high school. He continued to grow at Florida, listed at 400 pounds as a freshman, 415 as a sophomore, 435 as a junior, and 449 this past season.

Much like four years ago when he left high school, Watson’s bulk has sparked renewed interest with the NFL Draft next month. Watson worked out in front of more than 70 NFL scouts at Pro Day with 17 draft-eligible teammates.

Everywhere Watson went, eyeballs followed.

Watson stated a strong case that, sure, he weighs more than a full beer keg, but there is an athlete inside the bulk. He posted a 25-inch vertical leap and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.93 seconds. Watson showed his agility and power in the defensive line drills, huffing and puffing as scouts took notes. But Watson’s headliner was bench-pressing 225 pounds 36 times, three more than anyone at the NFL combine in February.

Watson was not invited to the combine, which made Pro Day an essential event if he’s to get a shot in the NFL.

“There’s currently no guarantee he’ll be drafted,” wrote Mike Florio, founder and editor of Pro Football Talk, on Friday. “The fact that Watson wasn’t on the combine list doesn’t mean he won’t be drafted. But he was overlooked in Indy, even though he’s hard to miss.”

If a team does draft Watson, it will be a historic selection. Based on Watson’s weight Thursday, he would become the heaviest player ever drafted by 84 pounds. Former Gators offensive lineman Trent Brown (2015) and Minnesota offensive lineman Daniel Faalele (2022) currently share the distinction at 380 pounds.

Those who know Watson best – his Florida teammates and coaches – said not to overlook Watson’s ability.

“Man, he’s a force,” said offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, who knows what it’s like to block Watson at practice. “He’s a run-stopper. I think that’s his big thing that’s in his game.”

Joey Slackman, who played behind Watson most of last season and has moved to the offensive line to make it to the NFL, did a double-take the first time he saw Watson last year when Slackman arrived at UF.

He became a believer in Watson’s ability once they got onto the field.

“He moves way better than anybody thought that he would at his size,” Slackman said. “And I played next to him on the field, and I didn’t think there was a dropoff with him being on the field versus anybody else, so I don’t see why a team wouldn’t give him a chance. I mean, he’s a football player through and through. I would want that guy on my team.”

Watson’s performance in the strength drills Thursday made the rounds on social media and landed him in the news cycle halfway around the world.

The Gators cheered him on, knowing Watson would impress the scouts.

“I’ve seen Dez come in here and lift the whole weight room,” Crenshaw-Dickson said.

Added Slackman: “I knew he was going to go for a crazy number. He’s a huge dude, but he was locked in from the start, so I knew he would get 30-, 35-plus. We talked about it beforehand, and he was ready to roll.”

As the media spoke to Napier and several of Watson’s teammates, the most massive man in the building somehow vanished after the workouts. Watson has never been a self-promoter or big talker, letting others judge.

He never missed a game in his four seasons and finished his career with 63 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Those numbers don’t usually lead to the NFL draft. But by now, everyone knows Watson is not your typical human. His most memorable plays for the Gators turned him into a folk hero: a strip fumble and rumble against South Carolina as a sophomore, and in his final game, a lift-and-drop tackle on Tulane quarterback Ty Thompson in the Gasparilla Bowl and a first-down run as the biggest fullback in history.

Napier said Watson “played the best football of his career” as a senior.

As for the weight questions that are certain to come in any interviews Watson has with NFL teams, Napier said Watson has made progress despite what the scale says.

“He’s had numerous nutritionists, numerous position coaches, numerous strength coaches, and I think this past year we probably executed the best we have,” Napier said. “I think he’s learned a lot about habit building, self-discipline, and ultimately the guy’s frame score would indicate that he’s going to be a huge (human).

“I mean, he’s 6-foot-6, and just the density and bone structure, he’s just a big man. You get to know Dez, he’s extremely intelligent and he’s got a great sense of humor and he was a great teammate. He’ll get his shot, and I’m hoping he’ll make the most of it.”

If so, check out the Times of India website for a follow-up.