All Huskers

4-Star Wide Receiver Commits to Nebraska Over Illinois, Florida State

Nebraska's 2027 class got another boost Friday, with the commitment of four-star wide receiver Jabari Watkins.
Kaleb Henry|
Four-star wide receiver Jabari Watkins is committed to Nebraska.
Four-star wide receiver Jabari Watkins is committed to Nebraska. | @jabariwatkins18/X

In this story:

Nebraska CornhuskersIllinois Fighting IlliniFlorida State SeminolesCalifornia Golden Bears

Nebraska football's 2027 class got another boost on Friday.

Jabari Watkins, a four-star wide receiver from Georgia, has committed to the Huskers. He's the fourth commit to the class for coach Matt Rhule.

Playing for Thomas County Central in Thomasville, Georgia, Watkins stands 6-2 and weighs 180 pounds. According to MaxPreps, he has caught 20 passes for 280 yards and seven touchdowns through five games this fall. In 12 games as a sophomore, he had 39 receptions for 692 yards and five touchdowns.

Watkins chose Nebraska over three other finalists: California, Illinois, and Florida State. His offer list also included Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, UCF, USF, and Wisconsin.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Watkins is the No. 43 wideout in the nation and No. 336 prospect nationally. He's the No. 37 prospect out of Georgia.

The 2027 Class

Watkins joins a small but powerful group already committed to Nebraska.

Omaha Central athlete Tory Pittman III leads the way as a five-star prospect. The top player in the state of Nebraska, Pittman commited last month.

Earlier this month, another Omaha product made his commitment. Three-star Matt Erickson out of Millard South is set to follow in his father's footsteps in playing for Nebraska.

The first commit for the class came back in May. Four-star quarterback Trae Taylor has been the face of the class for several months, aiding the coaching staff in peer recruiting.

With the addition of Watkins, Nebraska now has the No. 6 class in the nation and second-best class in the Big Ten Conference, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Huskers are behind Penn State, Miami (FL), Oklahoma, Sacramento State, and Syracuse.

Nebraska looks even better with the Rivals Industry Rankings. The Huskers are No. 3 in the nation, behind the Nittany Lions and Sooners.

Making up for 2026

Rhule has said this fall that he recruits football players, not recruiting stars. Those stars are falling in place for the 2027 class, but the 2026 class is another story.

The 11 commits feature just two four-star prospects, in cornerback Danny Odem and offensive tackle Claude Mpouma. Earlier this week, three-star wide receiver Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte decommitted after being a commit for nearly a full year.

The 247Sports Composite ranks Nebraska as the No. 79 class in the nation. The Rivals Industry Rankings are better, with the Huskers at 66. Both outlets have the Big Red as last in the Big Ten.

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

More From Nebraska on SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Published | Modified
Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

Share on XFollow iKalebHenry
Home/Recruiting