On3’s Take: What LSU’s getting in Jelani Watkins

On3 National Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power has seen plenty of LSU wide receiver commitment Jelani Watkins across his high school career at Klein Forest.

With the Tigers reeling in a verbal pledge from Watkins this week, LSU now has four wide receivers committed for the 2024 class.

What is LSU getting in the two-sport standout as Watkins prepares to both play football and run track in Baton Rouge?

LSU gets one of the fastest WR’s in the country

In 2023, Watkins – during his junior season on the track – took home multiple state titles.

“You start off with his elite speed,” Power said. “He is one of the fastest prospects in the 2024 cycle and doubles as one of the best track athletes we’ve seen in this cycle.

“He’s a two-time state champion in the 200-meters in the state of Texas, consistently running sub-21 second times in the 200-meters. And he has some really fantastics 100-meter times as well, even though that’s not his primary event. He’s run in the 10.5 range and has some wind-aided times that are well under that.”

Watkins repeated as the state champion in the UIL Class 6A 200-meter dash with a 20.54. Watkins had previously posted a personal record 20.39 at the District 15/16-6A area meet.

The LSU commitment also ran anchor on Klein Forest’s 4×100 relay team, which also won a Texas 6A state title with a head-turning 40.01.

Watkins also has a number of impressive 100-meter dash times, including a personal record of 10.27.

“Watkins carries that speed over the field on Friday nights,” Power said. “He has a ton of burst. In addition to straight line speed, he changes directions well. He can take the top off a defense, and any time the ball is in his hands he’s a threat to take it to the house. He plays with an exceptional burst and speed.”

How will Watkins be used in Baton Rouge?

When it comes to making the transition to the Southeastern Conference, what’s the view of Watkins as a college football prospect on a roster that is always stacked with talent at wide receiver?

“He projects as a Z receiver at the next level, a guy who can be a deep threat and bring safeties over,” Power said. “He can potentially play in the slot, as well. But at the minimum, he can be a field-stretching outside receiver. He can make defenders miss in space with the ball in his hands, and I think he just has that really strong trait with the elite speed to continue to build off of.

“He’s a smaller guy at around 5-foot-10, 160 pounds. He is going to need to get stronger, and spending time in LSU’s weight room adding strength will help him play stronger. His hands will need to get stronger and more consistent as well, but he has the gamebreaking ability to make plays at the next level.”

LSU WR commitment No. 4 is in for the 2024 class

Watkins joins Louisiana wide receivers Kylan Billiot and Michael Turner as well as Georgia’s JoJo Stone as the fourth wide receiver commitment for LSU assistant Cortez Hankton.

The additions come after the Tigers signed four wide receivers in the 2023 class in Shelton Sampson Jr., Jalen Brown, Kyle Parker and Khai Prean.

“Bringing him in with the receivers LSU has committed and brought in during the last cycle, they are adding a pretty wide variety of skills in the receiver room,” Power said. “He is certainly a guy you can find a spot for in every receiver (room).

“I look forward to tracking him as a senior and getting a better picture of him as a prospect, but there’s no question he has game changing speed that he is bringing to Baton Rouge.”

As a junior at Klein Forest, Watkins caught 37 passes for 612 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Watkins is ranked as the No. 191 overall prospect and No. 32 wide receiver in the country.

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