4-star WR Jelani Watkins commits to LSU Tigers

Houston (Texas) Klein Forest four-star wide receiver Jelani Watkins has announced his commitment to LSU.

He chose the Tigers over finalists Texas A&M, Texas and Arkansas.

Watkins is the No. 191 overall prospect and No. 32 wide receiver in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 35 player in Texas.

For more LSU recruiting intel, check out The Bengal Tiger.

The 5-foot-9, 150-pound wideout took four visits to Baton Rouge since March, including an official visit, which came on June 22. His latest trip came on July 28 for the Bayou Splash.

Watkins, who grew up in New Orleans before moving to Texas, felt comfortable around purple and yellow. Now, he’s pledged to play in those colors in 2024.

“It was a good official visit, for sure. I had gotten to see some of my people, and being around the players again was cool. It was just good vibes from everybody. It feels like home when I go back,” Watkins told The Bengal Tiger after his OV in June.

Watkins has an On3 NIL Valuation of $99K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Watkins joins jam-packed, top-10 LSU class

Watkins’ commitment bumps LSU’s recruiting class up to No. 10 in the nation and No. 5 in the SEC, jumping ahead of Texas A&M. He’s the fourth highest-ranked commit in Brian Kelly‘s class, following Jackson (La.) Zachary tight end Trey’Dez Green, Orlando Edgewater cornerback Cai Bates and Denham Springs (La.) safety Dashawn McBryde, all of whom are top-100 prospects.

He’s now the fourth and highest-ranked wideout to pledge to the Tigers, joining a trio of four-stars in Houma (La.) Terrebonne Kylan Billiot, Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes Joseph Stone and River Ridge (La.) Michael Turner.

Watkins becomes the 23rd commit in the Tigers’ class, which is the second-biggest class in the SEC, behind Georgia. Of the 23 pledges, 15 are four-stars.