From Cardinal to Rebel, Jordan Watkins Prepares For Season Opener in Oxford

OXFORD, Miss. -- At this time last year, wide receiver Jordan Watkins was preparing to face the Ole Miss Rebels as a part of the Louisville Cardinals offense. This season, he is suiting up for the red and blue.

Watkins is attempting to soak in his environment and just how much has changed in a year, not just for himself, but for his new team.

"I was just thinking about that the other day, actually," Watkins said. "Last year, I remember getting ready for Ole Miss and looking at their defense a little bit. Now, I kind of go against them every day, and I play for Ole Miss.

"You've got to take a step back and take it all in. Playing in the SEC from the ACC, it's a big step up, so I'm super excited to get to play SEC football."

The Rebels have largely moved out of "training camp" mode into "preparation mode" for their Week 1 bout at home with the Troy Trojans. Watkins attested to this change in media availability on Wednesday.

"Definitely, especially today," Watkins said. "Today was more of an emphasis on working against the scout team getting ready for Troy. It's here, so we're just getting a little more preparation."

Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin has emphasized situational preparation for games leading up to this season, and that is also a point of emphasis for one of his team's newest wide receivers.

"There are always different scenarios that can happen in a game," Watkins said. "You can't always prepare for them, but we want to get as close as possible."

One of the largest focuses for the Rebels this offseason has been building team chemistry after gaining a large amount of players from the transfer portal after finishing last season with 10 wins.

"We've got people from everywhere," Watkins said. "It's awesome getting to meet a lot of different people. You've got to take a step back and realize where they came from. I like to hear how a lot of different stories about how the programs were ran. Just bouncing off and learning from one another."

Ole Miss and Troy will meet on Sept. 3 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The game will be televised on SEC Network.

You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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