Cousin of Sammy Watkins, Winston Watkins Jr. Impresses Clemson Coaches

Winston Watkins Jr. hasn't even started high school yet and he's already turning heads.

The younger cousin of former Clemson standout Sammy Watkins was on campus this week at one of head coach Dabo Swinney's high school camps and the 2025 wide receiver told AllClemson that he came away thoroughly impressed.

"It's a pretty nice school, like what I've seen," Watkins Jr said. "The locker room looks nice. The weight room's pretty big. I love the coaching staff, I like Dabo, he's a very fun guy, and the receiver coach is great."

Watkins Jr. has a close relationship with his cousin Sammy, but when it comes to Clemson football, that is something the two haven't talked much about, seeing as the program has changed so much since Sammy left.

"We're pretty close, we talk on a daily basis," Watkins Jr. said. "He hasn't ever told me about why he liked going there but when he went it was a whole different, like timeframe, and they had way different things."

The rising high school freshman said he also has plans to take some other visits during the summer months as well.

"FSU, Michigan State, Auburn, Alabama," Watkins Jr. said. "I had UCF planned but I'm not sure if I'm gonna go."

Watkins Jr. was one of the younger players to compete and compete he did. So much so that he left a lasting impression on the coaching staff.

"They liked how I was going against all the older kids because everybody was older than me," Watkins Jr. said. "They were all seniors and juniors and they liked how I was able to compete with them."

Not only did Watkins Jr. come away impressed by Swinney and the way he approaches coaching young players, but he also really liked Tyler Grisham, who is now heading into his second season as the team's wide receivers coach.

"Pretty cool people, they like to have fun," Watkins Jr. said. "Dabo like to have fun, you could tell. You see the receiver's coach knows what he's doing, what he's talking about. He knows how to win your matchup, stuff like that."