Tag: Winston Watkins

Relative of former Tiger, current NFL standout had ‘great experience’ at Clemson

The younger cousin of a former Clemson standout, who has seen his recruitment take off at such a young age and has already collected multiple Power Five offers, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last month. Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s Winston …

The younger cousin of a former Clemson standout, who has seen his recruitment take off at such a young age and has already collected multiple Power Five offers, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last month.

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s Winston Watkins, Jr. — a 5-foot-10, 172-pound rising sophomore in the class of 2025 — camped at Clemson on June 2.

“It was great,” Watkins told The Clemson Insider last month. “I had a great experience. I saw a lot of stuff while I was touring the campus and I loved it. I liked the facility a lot. I loved the slide. It’s a pretty good facility and they had a lot of construction going on, so some parts you couldn’t get to, but it was pretty great.”

What type of feedback did Watkins get from Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham?

“He says that I’m a great player and loves how I play the game,” Watkins recalled. “He’s just gonna keep recruiting me. He loves the way I look right now, but he knows I’m gonna keep developing over time.”

“Me and (Coach) Grisham have a pretty decent relationship,” Watkins continued. “I talk to him a decent amount for him to be a college receiver coach, to the point we’re just building our bond together.”

Watkins also had a chance to talk at length with Dabo Swinney

According to Watkins, Clemson’s head coach told him that he loved him and liked what he saw during that particular session of Swinney Camp. Swinney said that he’s going to keep watching Watkins over the years and that every time he sees him, he continues to grow and get better.

“He says I’m gonna be the next best Watkins,” Watkins said of Swinney.

While Watkins committed to Texas A&M on Dec. 20, 2021, he’s still trying to enjoy the recruitment process as a rising sophomore on the recruiting trail. Talking about his pledge to the Aggies, Watkins said that Texas A&M “felt like a great place to be” and got a great feeling when he was on campus. 

He’s made several visits to some top Power Five programs this summer, including Clemson, and added offers to his list from schools like Texas, Ohio State, Alabama and the University of Miami.

Watkins appreciates that Clemson wants to take the time and build a relationship with him, but he said that he believes they should pull the trigger on offering some prospects earlier than others.

“I’m glad that they’re building a connection with me and getting to know me,” he said.

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Cousin of Clemson legend carving out his own path down at IMG

The Clemson Insider checked back in with the cousin of a Clemson legend. Just like his cousin before him, Winston Watkins, Jr. is making a name for himself down in Florida. Though he’s just a freshman in the Class of 2025, Watkins is already playing …

The Clemson Insider checked back in with the cousin of a Clemson legend.

Just like his cousin before him, Winston Watkins, Jr. is making a name for himself down in Florida. Though he’s just a freshman in the Class of 2025, Watkins is already playing for IMG Academy’s (Bradenton, Fla.) National Team.

Sammy Watkins’ season with the Baltimore Ravens is currently underway, but that hasn’t stopped him from giving some motivational advice to his younger cousin.

“He’s been telling me to stay focused, stay dedicated and keep getting good grades because if I don’t get good grades, I won’t be able to make it anywhere,” Watkins told TCI. “It’s hard work. You got to have hard work to make it. Some people don’t work at all that have a lot of talent…if you work hard, you can get anything you want in life.”

And Sammy would know.

Though he hasn’t heard from them since he camped at the Dabo Swinney Camp, Watkins understands the slow-played approach that Clemson takes to recruiting. He’s also been able to see it through the lens of his roommate and close friend, Carnell Tate, who is being recruited by Clemson and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.

First off, there are not many freshmen who can say they’re playing at the level Watkins is.

“It’s been pretty good,” he said. “I’m glad to be able to play with all these great players. It’s a blessing, honestly. A lot of kids can’t be in the position I’m in and do what I do. I feel like I’m at the best level of any high school level you can play on.

Before he arrived at IMG, Watkins received offers from Texas A&M, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Central Michigan. He picked up an offer from the University of Florida and has spoken with Penn State after he arrived in Bradenton.

While Watkins has some impressive Division I offers himself, he gets to play with some of the best players in the country every single day.

“Every day I’m going up against the best of the best,” Watkins said. “If I don’t have a dog fight with them, I ain’t getting better. Every day I get better with them.”

Iron sharpens iron.

“They teach me things that I don’t even really know, just from being a more mature, older person in life,” he said when asked what he’s learned from his teammates. “They teach me some things about the game, real life, all that, especially my roommate, Carnell. He teaches me a lot.”

As mentioned above, Tate’s recruitment has allowed Watkins to take a step back and learn from the 2023 four-star receiver, but also compete with him.

“It’s kind of like an inspiration for me because I look up to him,” Watkins said. “He does great things on the field and off the field. His grades look great. He’s like a great role model for me. He’s just shown me the right way to go.”

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