CU Recruiting Class of 2025

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Recruiting Class of 2025 - 2024 Season

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Colorado Recruiting Class of 2025

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11 Commitments, by Position

Quarterbacks … Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis …

Running Backs …

Wide Receivers … Quanell X Farrakhan, Jr. … Adrian Wilson

Tight Ends … Corbin Laisure … Zayne DeSouza …

Offensive Linemen … Chauncey Gooden … Jay Gardenhire

Defensive Linemen … Christian Hudson …

Linebackers … Mantrez Walker …

Defensive Backs … Alex Graham … Antonio Branch

Athletes/Specialists …

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Recruits are from … Florida: 3 … Tennessee: 2 … Texas: 2 … Georgia: 2 … Colorado: 1 … Michigan: 1

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Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis – QB

Committed November 21st … Lewis is a 6’1″, 185-pound quarterback from Carrollton, Georgia … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Lewis … Lewis is rated as a five-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Lewis is listed as the No. 3 quarterback in the nation, the No. 1 overall player out of the state of Georgia, and the No. 6 overall prospect in the nation. At 247 Sports, Lewis is listed as the No. 9 quarterback in the country, the No. 14 player out of Georgia, and the No. 115 overall prospect in the country.

From 247 Scout Andrew Ivins … Quarterback prodigy that exits high school with over 10,000 career passing yards despite reclassifying and forgoing his senior season. Lacks elite physical traits, but is an elite distributor of the football with his quick release and advanced mechanics that picked apart defenses in the Peach State’s highest classification. Frequently in sync and in tune with his wide receivers as he excels at throwing with pace and precision to the first and second levels. Has continued to progress as a full-field reader over the years and is the type of young signal caller that will work through his keys and reads while looking off defenders. Can sense pressure and slip away from sacks, but shouldn’t exactly be viewed as a dynamic athlete that’s going to amplify a run game. Capable of connecting on some deep shots, but prep spray chart is painted with horizontal tosses and camp evaluations suggest he can keep improving as a vertical passer. Overall, projects as a new-age point guard that can push the tempo in a modern spread attack with his pin-point accuracy and savvy decision making. Smaller stature is not ideal, but has the skills and confidence to win games on Saturdays – and potentially right away.

Lewis had other offers from … the entire country. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M … you name it. Lewis had been a USC commit since August of 2023, but has been courted by almost every major program in the country. Lewis took official visits to Auburn, Georgia, Indiana, taking his official visit to Colorado last summer (he also took several unofficial visits to games this fall).

In his own words … “I’m excited for the opportunity to get to work and compete,” Lewis told ESPN. “Colorado wasn’t recruiting me until I reclassed, so it really was perfect timing. This is only the beginning. I trust Coach Prime and [offensive coordinator Pat] Shurmur to help me become the player that I want to be.”

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Adrian Wilson – WR

Committed October 26th … Wilson is a 6’0″, 170-pound wide receiver from Pflugerville, Texas … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Wilson … Wilson is rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Wilson has a 5.9 rating, just shy of five-star status. Wilson is rated as the No. 18 wide receiver in the nation, the No. 27 overall prospect out of Texas, and the No. 152 overall prospect in the country. At 247 Sports, Wilson is listed as the No. 35 wide receiver nationally, the No. 39 player out of Texas, and the No. 273 overall prospect out of the Class of 2025.

Here’s what 247Sports National Analyst Gabe Brooks had to say about the newest Colorado commit.

“Wilson’s having an encouraging senior year from a big-play standpoint. His per-catch rate of 23.1 yards reflects that, and represents a notable increase, especially considering that he averaged 19.5 and 18.2 the past two seasons, respectively. Wilson has high school basketball experience and a 6-foot-4 high jump to provide a strong multi-sport athletic profile. That should help his ability to win shot-play opportunities in the red zone, or any contested-catch situation, for that matter.”

Wilson had other offers from … almost two dozen Power Four schools, including both Arizona schools, both Kansas schools, TCU, Utah, and Texas Tech from the Big 12. Other offers were from schools like Oregon, Texas A&M, Penn State, Oklahoma and Miami. Colorado is the fourth team that Wilson has verbally committed to throughout the course of his recruitment. He pledged to both TCU and Oregon back in 2023 before backing away from the Ducks in the spring. Wilson then committed to Arizona State during an official visit in April before backing off of that decision a few days before committing to Colorado.

In his own words … “Definitely seeing how many people were bought into winning and the program,” said Wilson to 247Sports when asked why he picked Colorado. “Being the most prepared for the the NFL as possible, and continuing to better myself in all ways, including off the field.”

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Christian Hudson – DL

Committed October 25th … Hudson is a 6’1″, 280-pound defensive lineman from Daytona Beach, Florida … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Hudson … Hudson is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Hudson is considered to be the No. 47 defensive tackle in the nation. At 247 Sports, Hudson is rated as the No. 41 defensive lineman in the country, the No. 47 player overall out of the state of Florida, and the No. 481 overall prospect in the nation.

Evaluation from Andrew Ivins at 247 Sports … A potential spark plug in the middle. Two-way lineman for a decorated Mainland program that makes things happen on both sides of the ball. Under 6-foot-1, but finds ways to win with leverage and effort. Initially was viewed by some colleges as an offensive lineman at the next level, but made it clear he wants to chase quarterbacks after racking up nine sacks as an 11th grader. Impressive snap anticipation jolts him forward while active hands allow him to disengage and swipe past would-be blockers.

Hudson had other offers from … a dozen Power Four schools, including Penn State, West Virginia, Iowa, Louisville, Iowa State and Pitt. Hudson had been a Central Florida commit since July 6th.

In his own words … “They made me feel at home and they’re definitely building something special up there,” Hudson told Rivals analyst John Garcia Jr. about his decision to pick CU. “And, I wanna be a part of that and they’re going to help me get to the next level.”

Here is a link to Hudson’s Hudl.com highlights

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Antonio Branch, Jr. – DB

Committed September 23rd … Branch is a 6’2″, 172-pound defensive back from Miami, Florida … Rivals bio … 247 Sports …

What others say about Branch … Branch is considered to be a high three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Branch is considered to be the No. 53 safety in the nation, and the No. 97 overall player out of the state of Florida. At 247 Sports, Branch is rated as the No. 40 safety in the nation, the No. 62 player out of the state of Florida, and the No. 436 overall player in the nation.

Branch had other offers from … had almost two dozen other Power Four conference schools. including Florida State, Auburn, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Tennessee, UCF and West Virginia. Branch had been a Penn State commit since June 19th.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

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Zayne DeSouza – TE

Committed August 2nd … DeSouza is a 6’6″, 260-pound tight end from Loveland, Colorado … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about DeSouza … DeSouza is rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, but only a two-star player by Rivals. At 247 Sports, DeSouza is listed as the No. 71 tight end prospect in the nation, the No. 3 overall prospect out of the state of Colorado, and the No. 1629 prospect nationally.

DeSouza had other offers from … only Colorado and Washington State.

Here is a link to DeSouza’s Hudl.com highlights

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Quanell X Farrakhan, Jr. – WR

Committed July 13th … Farrakhan is a 6’0″, 177-pound wide receiver from Houston, Texas (North Shore) … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Farrakhan … Farrakhan is rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Farrakhan is rated as the No. 41 wide receiver prospect in the nation, the No. 37 overall prospect out of the state of Texas, and the No. 238 player nationally. At 247 Sports, Farrakan is considered to be the No. 36 wide receiver in the country, the No. 43 player out of Texas, and the No. 312 player in the nation.

Farrakhan has been a varsity starter since his freshman season. Appearing at three different high schools, Farrakhan has 132 catches for 2,082 yards and 28 touchdowns over his high school campaign. The 247Sports Scouting Report reads as follows:

“Advanced route runner with strong production against Texas 6A competition in Houston metro. Owns experience in all three phases with some part-time corner reps and impressive return-game context, including one kick return TD and one punt return TD as a junior. Displays impressive route snap and late-separating ability. Consistent hands catcher who’s spatially aware of defenders and the boundary and flashes body control acumen in the air. Flashes some speed-changing nuance that enhances route-running ability and run-after-catch effectiveness, which also derives in part from sneaky wiry strength and contact balance. Still developing fluidity and suddenness and unlocking top-end gear in the open field, but represents a bona fide high-major receiver prospect who could become an impact player with pro potential in the long run.”

Farrakhan had other offers from … at least two dozen other Power Four conference schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Penn State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, UCLA and Wisconsin. In addition to CU in June, Farrakhan took official visits to Penn State and UCLA before committing to Colorado.

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Jay Gardenhire – OL

Committed June 26th … Gardenhire is a 6’8″, 350-pound offensive lineman from West Bloomfield, Michigan … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Gardenhire … Gardenhire is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Gardenhire is given a 5.5 rating, while at 247 Sports, Gardenhire is listed as the No. 44 prospect overall out of the state of Michigan, and the No. 145 offensive tackle in the nation.

He spent the first three years of his high school career at Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Prep then transferred to West Bloomfield for this season. West Bloomfield is where the Buffaloes signed defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain from in the 2024 class.

Gardenhire has other offers from … several other Power Four conference schools, including Pitt and Boston College.

In his own words … “Colorado recruited me like I was a top priority,” Gardenhire told 247 Sports. “They showed my family and I that they really wanted me and explained how I would fit into their program. Colorado is the place to be and I am glad to be a part of the first wave of dogs that will be coming to Boulder.”

… Here is a link to Gardenhire’s Hudl.com highlights …

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Chauncey Gordon – OL

Committed June 24th … Gordon is a 6’4″, 320-pound offensive lineman from Nashville, Tennessee … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Gordon … Gordon is rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Gordon is listed as the No. 16 offensive guard prospect in the nation, and the No. 10 overall prospect out of the state of Tennessee. At 247 Sports, Gordon is rated as the No. 10 interior offensive lineman in the nation, the No. 3 overall prospect out of Tennessee, and the No. 185 overall prospect in the country.

Gooden was named the “Alpha Dog” at the Under Armour Next Camp in Nashville in April. “He was incredible all day long,” 247Sports recruiting analyst Tom Loy wrote of Gooden after the event. “The event got started with some individual drills and testing, both of which Gooden shined in a big, big way. Then everyone battled it out during one-on-one drills and once again we saw the Top 247 standout impress. Gooden didn’t lose a rep and was dominant while competing. There were a few others in contention for this honor, but it was a unanimous decision by the 247Sports crew that the 2025 prospect was more than deserving of top honor.”

Gordon had other offers from … over three dozen Power Four schools, and took visits to Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Auburn. Other offers came from schools like Georgia, Clemson, Oregon, Ohio State, Oklahoma, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas and Texas A&M.

In his own words … “They pretty much say I am a dawg,” Gordon told BuffStampede.com. “They say I dominate. I do always look to dominate. I am always powerful, ready to go; I have good feet and I move well for my size. They just like everything about me and I believe they can help me get even better as a player.”

Here is a link to Gordon’s Hudl.com highlights

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Mantrez Walker – LB

Committed April 27th … Walker is a 6’1″, 225-pound linebacker from Buford, Georgia … Rivals bio … 247 Sports …

What others say about Walker … Walker is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Walker is rated as the No. 15 inside linebacker in the nation, and the No. 46 overall prospect out of the state of Georgia. At 247 Sports, Walker is considered to be the No. 51 linebacker in the nation, the 48 prospect out of Georgia, and the No. 534 player in the nation.

Walker had other offers from … almost two dozen Power Four schools, including Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee. Walker took visits Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Penn State, South Carolina and Virginia Tech before announcing his commitment during CU’s Spring Game.

In his own words … “It’s great to be a Buffalo!” Walker told Rivals. “It’s really just their constant communication and them showing me that I’m a priority. They came to the school when they could and when I went out there I felt like I could relate to those coaches the most. And then the connections with them being from the NFL.

“I just feel like college football is changing and Coach Prime is going in the right direction with his new regime. Colorado is going nothing but up.”

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Corbin Laisure – TE

Committed April 27th … Laisure is a 6’5″, 225-pound tight end from Bluff City, Tennessee … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Laisure … Laisure is listed as a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. The 247 Sports composite has Laisure as the No. 62 tight end prospect in the nation, and the No. 36 overall player out of the state of Tennessee.

Laisure hauled in 64 passes for 774 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior at Sullivan East, while also starring on the defensive side of the ball.

Laisure had other offers from … a number of other Power Four schools, including Arizona State, Louisville, Mississippi State, Mississippi and Syracuse.

In his own words … “One of the things that I really loved about being at Colorado is there were so many different coaches that were trying to build a relationship and they were genuine”, Laisure told 247 Sports. “There are so many I could name. Coach Gunnar (White), Coach (Brett) Bartolone, Coach (Michael) Pollock, Coach Corey (Phillips), Coach (Devin) Ris(press), are some of them. I talked to the offensive coordinator a lot, I talked to the defensive coordinator. It felt like I talked to every one of their coaches. I had a great time.”

“I was ready to run through a brick wall for the man” – Corbin Laisure after talking to Coach Prime for 30 minutes.

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Alex Graham – DB

Committed April 26th … Graham is a 6’1″, 186-pound defensive back, originally from Michigan, coming to CU from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Graham … Graham is rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At Rivals, Graham is considered to be the No. 7 safety in the nation, the No. 16 player out of Florida, and the No. 78 overall prospect in the country. At 247 Sports, Graham is listed as the 24 cornerback in the nation, the No. 29 overall prospect out of Florida, and the No. 213 player in the country.

Before focusing on football, Graham took first in the Boys Triathlon at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in 2017.

“Has experience working in both press-man and off coverage. Rather fluid with his backpedal and does a nice job of mirroring with his hips while trying to steer wide receivers towards the sidelines,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote of Graham last fall. “Not one that usually shies away from contact and tends to embrace his role in run support. He looked the part as an 11th grader working opposite five-star corner Ellis Robinson IV.”

Graham had other offers from … over two dozen Power Five schools, including Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and USC. Considered by Rivals to be a future Michigan commit, Graham took visits this spring to Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. Graham took two unofficial visits to Boulder before his official visit for the Spring Game.

In his own words … “With the NFL Draft this weekend and me committing, I feel like it is falling into place,” Graham told Rivals. “The big thing Coach Prime preaches is you having accountability…I feel like Colorado is a good spot for me.

“I can focus there and I’ll be coached by Coach Prime, the best to ever do it.”

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Jamarice Wilder – RB

De-committed … November 27, 2023 … “I have decommitted from Colorado and my recruitment is now 100% open”

Just the facts … Committed August 2, 2023 … Wilder is a 5’9″, 180-pound running back from Venice, Florida … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Wilder … Wilder is rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, but, at the time of his commitment, was unrated by Rivals. At 247 Sports, Wilder is listed as the No. 44 running back in the nation, the No. 64 prospect out of the state of Florida, and the No. 468 overall prospect in the country.

Wilder averaged 8.1 yards on 55 carries and scored six touchdowns in 10 games as a freshman on varsity in 2021. As a sophomore in 2022, Wilder had more than 900 yards of offense and 13 scores. Wilder is the teammate of CU Recruiting Class of 2024 commit, Zycarl Lewis.

Wilder had other offers from … West Virginia, UCF, and South Florida, as well as schools like Florida International and Central Michigan.

In his own words … I was very excited and thankful to have the opportunity to play for the G.O.A.T. (Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders),” Wilder told BuffStampede.com. “What stood out on my visit was how I could communicate with the coaches well and how they could relate to me and feel where I’m coming from. I wouldn’t say they tried to sell anything. They just kept everything real with me.”

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Antwann “A.J.” Hill – QB

De-committed … November 26, 2023 … “Colorado is still a top priority for me,” Hill told ESPN. “I really just want to take the process slower and make sure I’m making the right decision for me and my family at the end of the day. I’m going to get back out there on the market and make the right decision.”

Hill said Colorado is still in it, but he wants to see Texas A&M, Michigan, LSU, Louisville, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Alabama and Ole Miss before making another decision. He will try to visit Louisville in December, but he doesn’t have specific dates set up for any schools.

Just the facts … Committed October 20, 2023 … Hill is a 6’5″, 215-pound quarterback from Warner Robins, Georgia … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Hill … Hill is rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. Hill is listed as the No. 7 pro-style quarterback in the nation, the No. 14 player overall in the talent-rich state of Georgia, and the No. 114 overall prospect in the nation. At 247 Sports, Hill is considered to be the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the nation, the No. 11 overall prospect out of Georgia, and the No. 71 overall prospect in the country. Despite only being a junior, Hill has already been invited to play in the Under Armour All-American game following his senior season.

2023: As a junior (with several games left to play), Hill has 1,814 passing yards with 23 touchdowns against only two interceptions.

2022: As a sophomore, led Houston County to a 10-3 record and the regional quarterfinals of Georgia’s AAAAAA playoffs. MaxPreps Sophomore All-American second-team selection. Completed 268 of 380 pass attempts (70.5%) for 3,663 yards with 40 TD and 3 INT. Set school single-season records for completion percentage and completions.

Hill had other offers from … pretty much the entire country. Included in the Power Five conference teams looking to sign Hill, there were offers from Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Arkansas, Florida, Louisville, Miami, Cincinnati, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State, USC, UCLA, Texas A&M and Tennessee. The junior had been busy with visits, with multiple trips to several schools, including Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Florida State. Penn State and Florida were considered to be CU’s main competition.

In his own words … “The offense is very explosive,” Hill told Rivals.com. “They can throw the ball, everybody knows that. Shedeur gets about 500 yards per game, four touchdowns a game, that offense is very explosive.

“I like the scheme coach Lewis has brought over there from Kent State so it’s a great offense to showcase my abilities.”

Hill committed to CU despite being on hand for the Buffs’ collapse against Stanford. “That visit was all love. From the coaching staff, to the players, I mean all love all over the place at Colorado,” Hill said in an interview with On3’s Josh Newberg. “Great atmosphere, great scenery, first of all. Mountains in the background of the stadium … the only bad thing about that trip basically was they lost, that’s it.

… “(Coach Prime) wants me to come in and take over when Shedeur (Sanders) leaves, really just having that deep conversation about if I want to come here what would happen,” Hill said. “Then just getting to know his situation, I asked him will he still be there when I get there, he said he won’t leave, so I mean he’s just trying to build his own thing, get that program rolling.”

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Winston Watkins – WR

De-committed … November 12, 2023 …“I want to make sure that I have all my opportunities”, Watkins told Rivals.com. “I’m still messing with Colorado super, super heavy but I just want to make sure I’m making the right decision. I have love for them and all that type of stuff but business is business.”

Colorado’s season had nothing to do with the decision said Watkins, who in five games at First Baptist Academy after transferring from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy has 38 catches for 804 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Four-straight losses by the Buffaloes – three by single digits – did not play a factor.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the games right now,” Watkins said.

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Just the facts … Committed December 4, 2022 … Watkins is a 5’10”, 172-pound wide receiver from IMG Academy in Ft. Meyers, Florida … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Watkins … Watkins is rated as a five-star prospect by 247 Sports; a four-star prospect by Rivals. At 247 Sports, Watkins is No. 7 wide receiver in the nation, the No. 3 overall prospect from the state of Florida, and the No. 27 overall prospect in the nation. Rivals, meanwhile, has Watkins as the No. 11 wide receiver in the nation.

“One of the more electric guys we’ve seen so far in the class-of-2025,” 247Sports National Analyst and Sunshine State based Andrew Ivins said. He’s seen Watkins several times live. “Emerged as the No. 2 wide receiver at IMG Academy as a sophomore which is pretty impressive. Not the biggest of individuals but he gets open and can make people miss in space. What I also like about him is how he competes. This summers, went to a bunch of elite camps and took as many reps as he could.”

Ivins also has a Scouting Report on Watkins profile.

“A slot receiver with some juice that has already established himself as one of the top offensive playmakers in the class of 2025 following numerous strong showings on the offseason camp circuit. Produced as an eighth grader at the varsity level before enrolling at the powerhouse that is IMG Academy. Might be under 5-foot-9 and weigh less than 180 pounds, but still finds ways to get the job done. Pretty advanced as a route runner for his age. Mixes gears well and understands how to create separation with quick cuts or little head fakes. Seems to catch most of the stuff that comes his way and does a nice job of tracking the football down the field before adjusting to make the play. Difficult to corral in a tunnel and will use his burst to jet away from would-be tacklers. Will need to eventually add some body armor if he wants to block and fend off college-sized defensive backs at some point down the line, but has the speed and quickness to emerge as a chunk-play machine at the Power Five level. Destined to find success in a spread attack that has plenty of screens and swing passes in the playbook. Could double as a return man given his ability to make people miss in tight quarters.”

Watkins had other offers from … pretty much everyone in the nation. Alabama has offered Watkins, as has Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, Tennessee and Texas A&M. There were plenty of others, of course, including, most notably, Jackson State.

In his own words … “Deion Sanders!” Watkins stated to 247Sports shortly after going public with his plans. “Big influence to me and will get me to my best ability. “He is that guy. Man he did it on the field and he does it in the office as well. Can’t wait to see what he does with the program.”