Georgia four-star RB Duke Watson sets two officials, lists three contenders
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Rushing for 1,669 yards with 14 touchdowns while showing off the hands in the passing game against Georgia defenses has a way of attracting a collegiate crowd. After Duke Watson’s big junior season with Mary Persons, 29 teams have asked the four-star to head to their campus to play college ball. After a May 12 decommitment from Georgia Tech, Watson has a big summer planned looking for his next level fit.
Spring visits were taken to North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Georgia Tech. The trip to Oxford was one worth taking for Watson.
“It was excellent,” Watson said. “I liked Ole Miss. It wasn’t like a regular visit. They showed me around by myself. Monte Kiffin was there; I talked to him. Coach (Lane) Kiffin wasn’t there. It was a great experience, I liked it.”
Once spring ball kicked in, teams were making the rounds to Watson’s Forsyth campus.
“Penn State came to our (spring) game, UCF, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Florida State, and Georgia Southern tried to come by but I was testing,” Watson stated.
There’s a big overlap with those who dropped by and those hitting Watson’s phone.
“Penn State, Ole Miss, UCF, I am talking to them a lot, I am still talking to Georgia Tech, I talk to Kentucky a lot, South Carolina some, and I keep in touch with Alabama,” Watson shared.
Official visits are now on the mind of the four-star tailback.
“No, I’m not taking any unofficial visits,” Watson said. “I am focused on officials and getting down to the final schools.”
Asked if he’s set any paid for visits, Watson replied, “I have set one with UCF on June 16-18 and one with Penn State June 9-11.”
All the Knights are at the round table trying to bring Watson to Orlando.
“UCF, I like their coaching staff,” Watson shared. “They are recruiting me hard. I talk to coach (Kam) Martin (RB) a lot. I talked to coach (Will) Lee (dir. PD); I’ve been talking to him since I was in 10th grade. And I am talking to coach (Alex) Mathis (ass. Dir. PD) too.”
Watson spoke about his personal interest in UCF.
“I like their offensive scheme, and their location too in Orlando,” Watson stated. “It is not too far, but far enough from home. They play good football, and they are going to play people. I went to one of their games, I liked the environment in the Bounce House.”
The style of play and fan enthusiasm in Happy Valley is attractive to Watson.
“I like their coaching staff, and I like their game,” Watson said. “They are going to run the ball. I like their two freshmen running backs from last year, and I was a big fan of Saquon Barkley. The All-White game, that is just a dream. The cold weather though, I haven’t been around real snow before. It has snowed, but it didn’t stick. It was just flakes. I haven’t been around weather like that before.”
Three more official visits could be added to the docket.
“Ole Miss, I definitely want to get one with them, one with Kentucky, and I probably will take one with Cincinnati,” Watson shared. “We are talking about an OV.”
Watson gave insight on the three potential teams he could add to his official visit list.
Ole Miss: “Coach (Kevin) Smith (RB) and coach (Enrique) Davis (analyst) are cool guys. Ole Miss is in the SEC. SEC, that is always going to put them at the top of the list. They play good football, they play Alabama, and they put players in the draft. I like Zach Evans and (Quinshon) Jenkins. I like coach Kiffin and the way he runs the offense; he will pull out some good plays.”
Kentucky: “I have watched their running back Chris Rodirguez; I used to keep in touch with him. Coach (Jay) Boulware (RB) and I, we keep in touch with each other. I want to see what they are about. And they are in the SEC, they will play good football.”
Cincinnati: “I’ve always wanted to go to Cincinnati. Their running backs coach, coach (De’Rail) Sims, that is who I talk to there. I just started talking to their offensive coordinator, coach (Brad) Glenn. He was trying to set up an OV with me today.”
The plan is in motion, and a commitment date is nearing.
“I want to do all my visits this summer, I want to commit before the season,” Watson said. “It maybe in early August.”