Elite 2025 WR Winston Watkins Jr. covers top schools ahead of Early Signing Period

Florida five-star WR Winston Watkins Jr. nearing decision, still keeping options open.

Florida 2025 WR Winston Watkins Jr. / Ryan Wright

Name the school, chances are they have offered Winston Watkins Jr. The Class of 2025 prospect has been an elite talent since his freshman year when he was a verbal commit to Texas A&M. Having been through the process before feeling that the ideal fit has been found, as the Early Signing Period nears, the Venice High School (Venice, FL) standout is still taking phone calls from college coaches as he nears his final decision.

On Nov. 17, Watkins released a top eight listing Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, and Syracuse.

An update on communication with programs still in the running was shared by Watkins.

Indiana: “With Indiana, coach (Mike) Shannon, he’s a really good connect for me with Indiana. He’s the offensive coordinator there. We built a really good connection on my official visit. He was showing me all of the plays, and the way they would run their program if I was there. They showed me how I would fit in with them. They have a lot of seniors this year; he showed me the positions I would play with this senior class leaving going to the league. He showed me how I would fit in with certain spots.”

Georgia: “I am also talking to Georgia – coach (James) Coley; he’s my guy. He was at South Carolina and Texas A&M; he offered me at both. When he got to Georgia, he wanted to keep that connection going. He has stayed in contact with me, but I never went out there to visit but we’ve stayed in contact.”

Alabama: “I’ve been talking to Bama with coach Shep (JaMarcus Shephard – WR). We are on and off really. I don’t know that I have a connection with Bama that much, but I do talk to them here and there. I kept them in there when they had the new coaching staff come in.”

South Carolina: “South Carolina, my official visit was really good. I felt that I had a really good connection with the whole coaching staff, not just their receiver’s coach or the head coach but with everyone in total. South Carolina has a great program. I feel that they are building something special with the class they have coming in, and the defensive guys they have coming in, they will have a really good defense, and with the quarterback they already have and the weapons they have at receiver.”

Syracuse: “With Syracuse, I have been talking to their receivers’ coach, coach (Ross) Douglas. We had a really good connection in the spring. I was talking to him a lot. As the summer and season went on, I never got a chance to get up there on an official visit, but I really wanted to go back up there on an official visit. We could never get our schedule together to get me back up there again. They have kept in contact with me as the season has gone on.”

Ole Miss: “Ole Miss, coach Lane Kiffin has a really good program there. They had three losses that they really should have won. When I watched them, I felt they should have won. Against LSU, that was a game they shouldn't have lost, against Kentucky was another one, they had a bad game against them. They left some plays on the field, and the same thing against the Florida Gators; they left a lot of plays on the field.

“They have a nice quarterback backing them up in Austin Simmons. The class coming in so far looks good. I see they are trying to flip (QB) Deuce Knight (Auburn) as well. I like Ole Miss a lot as well. With coach (George) McDonald as their receivers coach, he’s a really good receivers coach.”

Watkins continued sharing the criteria that will help him make his final decision.

“The connection, if I would fit in and be a factor off the rip because I want to play as soon as I get there,” Watkins said. “I feel that I can make an instant impact; I don’t want to sit and be on the bench. I want to make sure the coaches know that. Having a really good connection and that they know I am coming in to make plays and be an instant impact.

“I want to be with an OC that knows exactly what he’s calling, he’s really a genius at his schemes and his scenarios that he has going on.”

Asked about the difficulty on picking the right program, Watkins replied, “I try to not think about it, but it is hard. It is a blessing. A lot of kids and teenagers pray at this time on making a decision on where they want to go, or even just to get an offer. It is a blessing. I try my best to not keep my mind on it. It is a great feeling. I am appreciative and blessed. I thank God as much as I can. This choice is a very big decision for my career. Wherever I go I can make a really big impact.”

Has a decision been made yet?

“I would say I am close to the finish line,” Watkins shared. “I still have a couple of schools I am thinking about here and there. I have the “I don’t know, should I do this, or should I do that” because they all have different situations. Coaches continue to reach out even though they have their guys because they don’t know if the ones they have will decommit or flip. I am trying to keep my options open.”

Watkins will make his announcement on Dec. 4 at a ceremony in Fort Myers, Florida.

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