5-star wide receiver includes South Carolina football among list of top suitors

South Carolina football has two wide receivers committed in the class of 2025.

The first pledge of the cycle came from Jayden Sellers, the younger brother of starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, and the speedy in-state prospect is knocking on the door of a 4-star rating.

The second was another receiver. 4-star explosive athlete Brian Rowe joined Sellers in the class, and though he is not a big-bodied pass-catcher, he plays much bigger than his listed size thanks to his ridiculous athleticism and aggressiveness as a player.

The Gamecocks are set to have a lot of turnover in the receiver room again next offseason (without considering the transfer portal or early NFL entry, Carolina will lose 5 wideouts to graduation after the 2024 season), so it would come as no surprise if USC takes a large class at the position.

One of the South Carolina football program's receiver targets is Florida playmaker Winston Watkins. Watkins is a polarizing prospect who is rated as a 5-star and the #2 receiver in the country by Rivals but is considered a 3-star and the 66th-best wideout in the class by On3.

Throwing out the rankings disagreements, it is clear that Watkins is a shifty receiver who has an elite ability to create space and make defenders miss thanks to his quickness and elusiveness. That reality is why he is a player who has offers from some of the biggest football programs in the country.

On Thursday, Watkins released a list of his top-16 schools, and, as expected, the South Carolina Gamecocks made the cut. The Ole Miss Rebels, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Syracuse Orange, Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida State Seminoles, Indiana Hoosiers, Texas Longhorns, Florida State Seminoles, Colorado Buffaloes, Pittsburgh Panthers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Oregon Ducks, and Florida Gators make up the rest of the list. He was committed previously to Colorado.

Watkins has taken an official visit to Columbia, but with so many other schools after him, he won't be an easy fish to reel in for wide receivers coach Mike Furrey. The Ole Miss Rebels are after him very hard and have had him on campus more recently than the Gamecocks.

You can watch some of his film here.