LSU wide receiver coach [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] puts a premium on speed and he’ll be getting some serious wheels with the arrival of [autotag]Jelani Watkins[/autotag].
Watkins was recently named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas, not for football, but for his accomplishments on the track.
“The 5-foot-10, 161-pound senior sprinter broke the tape in the 100-meter dash at the UIL 6A state meet, clocking a personal best time of 10.19 seconds, which ranked No. 2 nationally among boys prep competitors and No. 23 in prep history,” Gatorade wrote in a press release.
Watkins was also a key member of the 4×100 relay team that broke a national record that had stood for 26 years.
“Watkins has maintained a 3.12 GPA in the classroom,” Gatorade wrote.
According to ESPN, Watkins is the No. 5 overall receiver in the 2024 recruiting class. In the 247Sports Composite Rankings, he’s the No. 167 overall recruit and No. 28 ranked receiver.
Watkins is also set to run track at LSU.
The Best from LA and TX are Tigers. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/w8V5cVIPmO
— LSU Track & Field (@LSUTrackField) July 1, 2024
With summer workouts in full swing, Watkins is on campus with the other 2024 recruits, participating in summer workouts.
Workin 🫡 pic.twitter.com/fTFlF6su2Q
— Jelani watkins (@laaared1) June 12, 2024
There’s plenty of targets to go around with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] turning pro. If Watkins makes a strong early impression, Hankton and co-OC [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] might find a way to get his speed on the field.
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