Winston Watkins Jr., five-star recruit for 2025, decommits from Deion Sanders, Colorado
A highly-touted recruit has decommitted from the Colorado Buffaloes.
Wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr., who has a five-star rating by Rivals.com, said Sunday that he is rescinding his commitment from head coach Deion Sanders. The No. 3 receiver and No. 1 player in Florida for the Class of 2025 originally pledged to Colorado in December.
"I didn’t want to limit the opportunities I already have because when you’re committed some schools try to not talk to you," Watkins Jr. told Rivals.com, per Sports Illustrated. "I have a lot of schools I want to make sure I’m still good with them because I don’t know if Prime will still be there when I get there."
Sanders and the Buffaloes are 4-6 with two more games left in the Pro Football Hall of Famer's first season at the helm. Sanders apologized to the fan base after losing 34-31 in their home finale and extending their losing streak to four games. Sanders joined Colorado in December after leading Jackson State for three seasons and winning back-to-back conference championships. Upon his arrival in Boulder, Sanders shook up the roster using the transfer portal and a landmark amount of recruit commitments.
Watkins Jr. is a junior at First Baptist Academy in Naples, Fla. This season, he had 38 receptions for 804 yards and nine touchdowns. He previously played at IMG Academy. He has 22 offers, including Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Michigan, and he visited Florida State and Miami last fall.
"I want to make sure that I have all my opportunities. I’m still messing with Colorado super, super heavy but I just want to make sure I’m making the right decision," he said. "I have love for them and all that type of stuff but business is business."
Texas A&M was the first school to offer a scholarship to Watkins Jr., who is the cousin of former Clemson standout and NFL journeyman Sammy Watkins, after he participated in a camp in June of 2021. He initially committed to the Aggies six months later as their first recruit in the Class of 2025. He rescinded his commitment in November.
He told on3 that he doesn't plan on making any more verbal commitments after decommitting from Colorado.
"I just want to study every college that is recruiting me and continue to pray that I am making the right decision that I feel is best," he said. "… No more Commitments until National Signing Day in December 2024 (signing on the line)!"