The Florida State Seminoles are battling to land local wide receiver Jabari Watkins, and the four-star prospect has named them one of the top 10 schools in his recruitment.
He announced the news on social media, and they are competing with the Pitt Panthers, Kentucky Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies, North Carolina Tar Heels, Georgia Bulldogs, Louisville Cardinals, Arkansas Razorbacks, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Watkins is from nearby Thomasville, Georgia, and named FSU his leader after visiting in January, but there has apparently been a change. He recently spoke with Chad Simmons of Rivals and revealed that another ACC program is now his leader.
“Louisville is on top right now,” Watkins told Rivals. “They stay on top of me every day. They talk to me like I am one of their guys already. The coaches tell me the real stuff, and not just what I want to hear. I will be taking an official visit to Louisville on May 29.”
The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder has also scheduled his official visit with the Seminoles and will be in Tallahassee on June 12 for the important trip. With how fluid his recruitment has been, the Seminoles will need to stay on Watkins and keep getting him to visit.
“Florida State is high on my list,” he said. “They are No. 2. I grew up a Florida State fan, it is close to home, and I really like them. Their coaches are great too. We have some real talks.”
He is ranked as the No. 302 overall player and No. 38 wide receiver in the Rivals industry ranking. He is also the No. 34 player from Georgia.
FSU might have some ground to make up, but they do have several advantages over Louisville. Not only is he much closer to Tallahassee, but freshman defensive lineman Cam Brooks also played for Thomas County Central before signing with the Seminoles.
Watkins is coming off an excellent junior season at Thomas County Central, which went 15-0 and won the state championship. He finished with 57 receptions for 882 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading them in all three stats.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Local wide receiver target names FSU a top school
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
