Transfer wide receiver Jordan Watkins sees “big differences” in Ole Miss and Louisville strength and conditioning

Jordan Watkins can tell a difference. 

Watkins, a wide receiver, transferred to Ole Miss from Louisville in December, and when he arrived a month later, he immediately got to work in the program’s strength and conditioning program. 

Wilson Love, who followed Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin from FAU and led the weight room for two seasons, left for the same position at Oregon. He was replaced by Nick Savage, formerly of Florida and Mississippi State.

Watkins said Savage’s energy and enthusiasm has been a noticeable change from his previous two seasons with the Cardinals. Watkins, as a true sophomore for Louisville in 2021, had 35 receptions for 529 yards and four touchdowns.

“I would definitely say there are some big differences,” Watkins, an exclusive NIL partner of the Ole Miss Spirit, said. Watkins is sponsored by Leblanc CPA in Metairie, La., and Ben Still of Bluff City Advisory in Memphis, Tenn. They can be reached at 504-837-0770 and 901-365-3447, respectively.

“I feel like with this strength staff, (compared) to my last one, this strength coach cares a little bit more. I feel like he cares about his players a little bit more, and he cares about their well-being.”

Watkins told the Spirit he knew he was leaving Louisville in October. 

The Cardinals and Rebels opened the season against each other in Atlanta, Ga., in September. Ole Miss won easily, 43-24, and went on to finish 10-3 overall. The Rebels reached the Sugar Bowl for the 10th time in school history.

Watkins had four receptions for 35 yards in the game. His most productive performance came in a loss to NC State, when he caught two passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. He visited the Rebels in mid-December, the only on-campus visit of his re-recruitment.

“It’s really meant to develop you,” Watkins said of Ole Miss strength and conditioning. “Coach Savage came from Florida and things like that, so another SEC program. Each strength coach has their style of how they do things and how they want you to do things. 

“The culture is a little bit different as well. When you go into the weight room, the culture is a lot more uplifting because a lot of the players are bought-in. They’re excited about it. It gets hard, but we know it has to be done. Getting used to the SEC style has been a little bit of a hill for me, but I’m adapting really well and I think I’m getting used to it now and fitting in like everybody else.”

Ole Miss ended the year on a sour note with a loss to Baylor on New Year’s Day. 

The Rebels also had some 20 players leave via the NCAA Transfer Portal, however, none were considered major contributors. Starters Matt Corral, Sam Wiliams, Dontario Drummond, Braylon Sanders, Jerrion Ealy, Ben Brown, Chance Campbell — among others — all left for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Drummond and Sanders were wide receivers.

In response, Ole Miss signed one of the top transfer classes in the country. Joining Watkins in Oxford is Jaxson Dart (USC), Zach Evans (TCU), Jared Ivey (Georgia Tech), Michael Trigg (USC), Mason Brooks (Western Kentucky), Khari Coleman (TCU), JJ Pegues (Auburn), Troy Brown (Central Michigan), Isheem Young (Iowa State), Malik Heath (Mississippi State), Ladarius Tennison (Auburn) and Danny Lockhart (USC).

Watkins said the shared offseason work under Savage has brought all of the players — new and old — closer together.

“Looking back at how they ended the season, nobody wants to end a season that way,” he said. “But we realize you come up short, and a lot of the transfers are leaving situations they don’t want to encounter again. We left those situations that we didn’t want to be a part of anymore, so we’re trying our best and working our best as not having to deal with that again. 

“(The returning players), they don’t want to experience another loss in a big-time game like the Sugar Bowl. You’ve got both aspects working together. Both are coming along really, really well.”