On Saturday against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Ole Miss Rebels senior wide receiver Jordan Watkins stepped up to the plate with the offense missing key receiver Tre Harris. Watkins tallied four receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the 48-23 win.
In a preseason press conference, Lane Kiffin detailed why he believes Watkins is going to have a breakout season. As of late, his visions are coming into fruition.
“I think he’ll be one of the better receivers in the conference," Kiffin said. "We enjoy when we have players that make others around them better. Very few players have the best interest in the team, and (he) is one of them.”
In three games to start the year, Watkins has two 100-yard receiving days, developing an early rapport with second-year starter Jaxson Dart, truly an iron-sharpens-iron mentality being built under Kiffin’s guidance.
“Jaxson’s really tough. He’s not tougher than me, but he’s super tough," Watkins said with a laugh on Saturday. "We go back-and-forth on that. He just wants to win, and that’s just awesome to see, especially from your quarterback. He’ll put it on the line for you, no matter the circumstance.”
With the speed of Watkins, he was able to find separation on Saturday night. A prime example of that was the 68-yard touchdown pass he caught from Dart, which boosted the Rebels to a 17-point lead that undeniably sealed the deal.
“Jaxson trusts me in situations like that where it's third down and he kind of needs somebody to go to," Watkins said. "I am kind of his go-to guy a little bit. It’s awesome that we built that connection over the summer, over the spring, and over a little bit of last year, and it’s awesome to be able to be the guy that he’s just able to trust in those kinds of situations. It’s been really really fun.”
His explosiveness is ideal for the pace at which the Ole Miss offense is notorious for running, the Rebels being aggressive in their “Score From Far” mentality. With another blossoming connection for Dart, this could spearhead the Rebels offensively to new heights this season.
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