Jaylen Watson commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes
Class of 2024 defensive back Jaylen Watson is headed to the University of Iowa. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Watson, who made his official visit to Iowa City on June 23, announced his verbal commitment to the Hawkeyes today.
Watson, who shows great playmaking ability on film, had opportunities to play on both sides of the ball in college, but ultimately chose defense at Iowa. There, he will get to learn under Phil Parker, widely considered one of the best defensive coordinators and secondary coaches in college football.
“I would say the main reason I picked Iowa was the chance to play for Coach Parker,” Watson told HawkeyeReport.com. “Who wouldn’t want to be coached by the best in the game?”
Watson, whose uncle Fred Russell played running back at Iowa, is originally from the state of Michigan, but recently moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he will be attending Central Catholic High School this year. At Iowa, the family connection was something the Class of 2024 prospect felt right away once he was on campus.
“All the way down from the coaches to the support staff, you can just tell what type of culture that is held and how it is truly a family no matter who you are,” said Watson. “Also, I know my coaches will be there for as long as I’m there, so that was big as well.”
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A three-star prospect with an On3 Industry Ranking of 84.94, Watson chose Iowa over scholarship offers from Minnesota, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Maryland, Louisville, Marshall, Miami-OH, Toledo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Kent State, and Liberty.
“The fit is just perfect,” said Watson. “I’ve already been talking with some of the defensive backs on the team, so I feel really welcomed.”
“There’s no better feeling than to be wanted and loved by everyone in the program,” Watson said.
Overall, Watson is commitment No. 19 for the Hawkeyes in the Class of 2024. He joins Cam Buffington, Cody Fox, Preston Ries, Derek Weisskopf, Josh Janowski, James Resar, Drew Campbell, Xavier Williams, Brevin Doll, Bodey McCaslin, Will Nolan, Michael Burt, Devan Kennedy, Reece Vander Zee, Gavin Hoffman, KJ Parker, Joseph Anderson, and Rashad Godfrey in the Iowa’s recruiting class, which currently ranks No. 32 in the country.
