Missouri in Top Schools for 4-Star WR Jabari Watkins

The dynamic 2027 wideout from Thomasville, Georgia named the Tigers as one of his finalists this week.

4-Star 2027 WR Jabari Watkins | Credit @jabariwatkins18 on X

Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers have been relatively quiet on the 2026 recruiting trail since adding the latest member of the class, Toney Forney, Jr., but have begun to turn their attention to the class of 2027 a bit.

Over the last few weeks, Missouri has not only been named a finalist for 4-Star edge rusher Ba'Roc Willis, but has also locked in visits with fellow 4-Stars Lual Aleu and Tavares Harrington.

On Monday this week, another talented prospect from the upcoming class joined the fold as 4-Star wide receiver Jabari Watkins announced his top nine schools. The Thomasville, Georgia native took to social media and named Missouri among Georgia, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Illinois, Nebraska, California and Florida State.

Overly blessed🙏🏾 #blessed #thankyou🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/chpshowJgS

— Jabari Watkins (@jabariwatkins18) August 12, 2025

Watkins is a lengthy wideout prospect with the ability to stretch the field and create explosive play opportunities for an offense. He stands at 6-foot-2, 180 lbs. and has excellent speed along with strong hands and a wide catch radius.

As a sophomore for Thomasville High School, he spent most of his time in the slot, finishing the season with 39 receptions for 692 yards and five touchdowns. Watkins operated underneath throughout the year, hauling in slants and screen passes, but was also able to find vertical space up the seam and create big plays for his team on several occasions.

The dynamic wideout is ranked as the No. 42 player at his position in the country and the No. 37 player in the state of Georgia, according to 247Sports' composite ranking. He has yet to line up any official visits for the upcoming fall, but the Tigers will have to beat out a strong list of contenders to land his commitment.

As of now, Missouri does not hold a commitment in the 2027 recruiting class, but the Tigers will need a strong showing if they hope to bounce back after a disappointing showing thus far in the class of 2026.

2026 Missouri Football Commitments

1. QB Gavin Sidwar, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs. - Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania (Committed 04/18/2025)
2. LB Keenan Harris, 6-foot-1, 210 lbs. - St. Louis (Committed 05/23/25)
3. WR Jabari Brady, 6-foot-1, 205 lbs - Pompana Beach, Florida (Committed 06/07/2025)
4. TE Isaac Jensen, 6-foot-6, 230 lbs - Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/09/2025)
5. RB Maxwell Warner, 5-foot-10, 185 lbs - Chicago (Committed 06/23/2025)
6. OL Khalief Canty, 6-foot-5, 305 lbs - Detroit (Committed 6/24/2025)
7. WR Devyon Hill-Lomax, 6-foot-4, 180 lbs. - Edwardsville, Illinois (Committed 06/25/2025)
8. OL Brandon Anderson, 6-foot-3, 326 lbs, - Kennesaw, Georgia (Committed 06/29/2025)
9. IOL Braylon Ellison, 6-foot-4, 285 lbs. - Boonville, Missouri (Committed 07/01/25)
10. S Tony Forney Jr., 5-foot-11, 180 lbs. - Marietta, Georgia (Committed 07/04/25)

Check out the Missouri Football Recruiting Tracker to stay up to date with Tigers' targets from 2026, 2027 and beyond.