Jordan Watkins
American football player (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jordan Watkins (born February 15, 2002) is an American professional football wide receiver and punt returner for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals and Ole Miss Rebels. Watkins was selected by the 49ers in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Punt returner
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
| No. 17 – San Francisco 49ers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Wide receiver Punt returner | ||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | February 15, 2002 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Butler Traditional (Louisville, Kentucky) | ||||||
| College | Louisville (2020–2021) Ole Miss (2022–2024) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 2025: 4th round, 138th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| |||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||
| |||||||
Early life
Watkins was born on February 15, 2002, and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky.[1] He attended Butler Traditional High School in Louisville where he played football as a wide receiver, recording 34 receptions for 679 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior[2] and then 37 receptions for 712 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior.[3] Although initially committed to play college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, Watkins, a three-star recruit, later changed his commitment to the Louisville Cardinals.[2][4]
College career
Louisville
Watkins saw limited playing time as a freshman at Louisville in 2020, recording eight receptions for 57 yards.[1][5] In 2021, he placed second on the team with 35 catches for 529 yards and four touchdowns.[6] He entered the NCAA transfer portal following the season.[6]
Ole Miss
Watkins ended up transferring to the Ole Miss Rebels for the 2022 season.[7] In his first year there, he started 10 games and caught 40 passes for 449 yards and two touchdowns.[8] In 2023, he caught 53 passes for 741 yards and three touchdowns, earning honorable mention All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors from College Football Network.[1][9] He announced a return for a final season in 2024, rather than declaring for the 2024 NFL draft.[9]
During a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on November 2, 2024, Watkins caught eight passes for 254 yards and five touchdowns, setting the Ole Miss single-game record for receiving touchdowns, even though he had never before had a multi-touchdown game.[10][11]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄4 in (1.81 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 29+3⁄8 in (0.75 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.37 s | 1.53 s | 2.56 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) | ||||
| All values from NFL Combine[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Watkins was selected in the fourth round (138th pick) by the San Francisco 49ers at the 2025 NFL draft.[14]
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Watkins has a daughter who was born in October 2024.[11]