The former Florida State commit had been very vocal about his feelings for Texas ever since they offered him back on January 20th. The Vanguard (FL) WR is one of the top players in the state of Florida and rated by some as the top athlete in the country. Justin Watkins was also so impressive at The Opening Regional in Orlando that he landed an invite to Oregon a week ago. This isn’t his first commitment since he blew up back in February of 2015, but it is a big one for the Longhorns as they land their first top tier talent of the 2018 class.
Film Analysis
When Justin Watkins steps on the field, it’s just unfair what he does to the opposition. The 5’11” 170lbs athlete from central Florida has it all, speed, acceleration, vision, elusiveness, footwork, and hands. He runs a verified 4.46 forty and seems that speed translate to the field. He’s able to stop on a dime, change direction, and start again at full speed.
In high school, he has shown off his versatility playing as a RB, slot WR, and outside WR. As a WR he has the speed to take the top off a defense, the hands to make catches over the top or over the middle, the burst to be the guy you throw the screen to, and the raw athleticism to make crazy diving catches. At RB Watkins has displayed great vision, remarkable burst, and elusiveness at the line and beyond. His film reminds me of Tavon Austin’s film from 2008, and that’s a good thing since Texas likes him at slot.
On top of all this, Watkins is a ridiculously dangerous returner. He makes so many “wow” plays that it’s just hard to nail down what exactly his strengths are besides most things. Like I said above, it’s unfair what he does to others on the field because he has so much more raw talent than everyone else.
Final Verdict
While this is a huge win for Texas, his recruitment isn’t over. This is his third school he’s been committed to in three years. Longhorns will have to continue aggressively recruiting him as if there was just a slim chance he might be a Longhorn. But once they get this talent on campus, Watkins has the ceiling to become one of the best WRs to come through Texas.
