Watkins commits to Memphis
Memphis coaches wasted little time hitting the recruiting trail after the AAC championship game. The Tigers secured a commitment from three-star athlete Jashon Watkins Monday night.
Watkins, from East Nashville Magnet School, chose Memphis over offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Florida, among others. He is ranked the nation’s No. 32 athlete according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
He’s also the third player from Nashville to commit to Memphis in the 2019 recruiting class. Hillsboro High School teammates Gyasi Mattison and Joseph Honeysucker committed to the Tigers in the summer.
At 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, Watkins lined up at both wide receiver and defensive back. He caught five touchdowns in his senior year, ran for two more and also had two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdowns.
Memphis has found success recruiting in Nashville during Mike Norvell’s three-year tenure. In 2017, the Tigers signed both offensive lineman Obinna Eze and defensive back TJ Carter.
The Tigers’ class of 2019 now stands at 17 players, 16 of which are rated as three-star recruits. It’s currently ranked No. 55 nationally according to 247Sports, which would surpass Memphis’ 2017 class that ranked No. 56.
Memphis class of 2019 commitments TE Drew Martin, North Little Rock (Ark.):
3-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports, No. 14 recruit in Arkansas (247Sports)
QB Sheldon Layman, McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.):
3-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports, No. 42 pro-style QB (247Sports), No. 50 recruit in Alabama (247Sports)
RB Rodrigues Clark, Starkville (Miss.):
3-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports, No. 35 recruit in Mississippi (Rivals)
ATH CJ Johnson, Greenwood (Miss.):
OL Jacob Likes, Christian Brothers (Memphis):
DB Maliek Stallings, Noxubee County (Miss.):
3-star 247Sports and Rivals
DE/LB Joseph Honeysucker, Hillsboro (Nashville):
3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals
OL Brian Thomas, Hutchinson Community College (Kansas):
recruit by 247Sports and Rivals
RB Jarod Conner, Hattiesburg (Miss.):
Rivals 3-star recruit by Rivals 3-star recruit by 247Sports recruit by 3-star 3-star recruit by 247Sports and
WR Javon Ivory, Clarke County (Ala.):
ATH Gyasi Mattison, Hillsboro (Nashville):
2-star recruit by 247Sports 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals
DE Cole Mashburn, Norman North (Okla.):
3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals; No. 33 defensive end in nation (247Sports), No. 7 recruit in Oklahoma (247Sports)
ILB Ja’Len Sims, Fultondale (Ala.):
3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. No. 26 inside linebacker (247Sports), No. 18 recruit in Alabama (247Sports).
WR Cameron Baker, Germantown: 3-star recruit by Rivals. No. 72 player in Tennessee (247Sports)
DE Wardalis Ducksworth, Jones County Junior College (Miss.):
3-star recruit by 247Sports. No. 78 player in JUCO rankings (247Sports)
ATH Jashon Watkins, East Nashville Magnet: 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. No. 32 athlete in nation, No. 19 recruit in Tennessee (247Sports)