Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville RB Commit Duke Watson

Louisville Report breaks down 2024 Louisville football running back commit Duke Watson.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has landed another elite offensive weapon to their 2024 class, as Duke Watson has committed to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Report's full evaluation:

Prospect: Duke Watson
Position: Running Back
Measurables: 6-foot-0, 180 pounds
School: Forsyth (Ga.) Mary Persons
Top Offers: Cincinnati, Kansas State, Kentucky, Minnesota, NC State, Ole Miss, Penn State
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.8903 (429th)

Duke Watson's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Compared to most of the running backs that Louisville has had over the last few years, Watson provides a much bigger frame. He is very well toned in his upper arms and core, is a little more lean in his legs while still being muscular, and provides good height and length.

Athleticism: Considering that Watson is a two-port athlete that also participates in track & field (personal best in the 100-meter dash is a 11.12), he has a healthy amount of speed. Thanks to fast foot speed, he also has great burst and some incredible short area agility.

Instincts: You would think that his speed would be his headlining talent, but that's far from the case. Watson possesses well above average vision with the ball in his hand, and is able to find narrow rushing lanes in a hurry. He is also incredible at changing directions quickly while keeping his balance, whether it's a jump cut, traditional juke or spin move. Watson can weave through the line of scrimmage and come out firing out the other end more often than not. He also takes near-perfect angles on all parts of the field, whether it's trying to get around tacklers coming off the edge on stretch or outside zone runs, going up the middle and avoiding traffic, or trying to cut off defenders around him in the open field that have easy pursuit angles on him. Of course, given his natural speed, he's also very hard to catch from behind.

Polish: Watson is a proficient pass-catching back. He's got experience catching screen passes, being a last-ditch safety valve in the flats, and also running the occasional go route up the middle or sideline. He does a great job being "slippery" against would-be tacklers in small areas, but also refuses to go down easily when getting gang tackles. An underrated aspect of his game is that film appears to show that, especially on runs up the middle, Watson places an emphasis on ball security. His abilities as a pass blocker are unknown, but there is potential given his frame.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a great pickup for Louisville. Watson possesses phenomenal instincts as well as well above average physical tools, and is a great compliment to Isaac Brown, another 2024 running back who is also committed to the Cardinals. Brohm's offense isn't known for running the ball, but Watson could contend for early playing time.

(Photo of Duke Watson via University of Louisville Athletics)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter