BREAKING: LSU lands former Ole Miss WR Winston Watkins Jr.

LSU landed another weapon out of the transfer portal, as former Ole Miss wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr.

After entering the portal, Watkins wasted no time making it known where he was heading. He posted on his social media accounts that he was landing in Baton Rouge for a visit with the Tigers.

Kiffin praised his young wideout multiple times this season, including right after the Rebels’ win over LSU. He made sure to point out, too, that Watkins could be a hot commodity on the transfer market if he praised him too much.

“(Watkins is) gonna be a great player here — shoot I’m not supposed to say that. Everybody will go buy him in the portal, not supposed to do that anymore,” Kiffin said in October. “I mean, he’s just okay, you know, really doesn’t know his plays and stuff. So, you know, really, it’ll be a couple years before he’s good. Winnie’s awesome, he’s a really good player.

Watkins flashed during his true freshman season, catching 26 passes for 373 receiving yards (15.1 YPC) and a touchdown in 15 games played. He also added 20 yards on four carries (5.0 YPC). Watkins broke out in the Rebels’ win over Oklahoma with the best game of his young career. The freshman receiver tallied 111 receiving yards on four receptions in what was a critical road win over the Sooners.

As a high schooler, Watkins hauled in 78 passes for 1,011 yards and 17 touchdowns his senior season, while averaging 77.8 yards per game and 13.0 yards per catch. He also had 129 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns across his junior and senior seasons. The Venice (FL) standout was ranked as a four-star per Rivals. He ranked as a top 300 player in the 2025 cycle.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver will have three years of eligibility remaining.