Freshmen Faces: BANDIT Eddie Watkins

Recruitment

West Virginia got a nice National Signing Day gift with the commitment/signing of edge rusher Eddie Watkins of Hillcrest High School in Greendale, Alabama. Watkins chose West Virginia over other offers from Arizona, Missouri, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Central Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and a slew of others.

Player Breakdown

Watkins is a perfect fit to play the BANDIT position in Morgantown. He has a quick first step off of the ball, great burst off the edge, and can get skinny in tight gaps. He's a vicious hitter and can really contain the edge in the run game. He played much of his high school career with a hand in the dirt, so being a standup edge rusher may take a little time to get acclimated to, but it should be a seamless transition. The goal is still the same - get after the quarterback. He recorded 66 tackles and ten sacks in his senior year at Hillcrest en route to earning 2019 4A Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State First Team honors.

2020 Outlook

If there is one thing for certain, Watkins' frame is college-ready. His playing time will likely be based on how fast he can grasp ahold of the defensive terminology and understand his responsibilities as a stand up edge rusher. With so few players having experience at the position, I would expect to see Watkins on the field here and there, but should see a significant role by 2021-22.

Previously featured freshmen:

QB Garrett Greene

RB A'varius Sparrow

WR Devell Washington

WR Sam Brown

WR Reese Smith

TE Charles Finley

OL Zach Frazier

OL Chris Mayo

OL Jordan White

DE Sean Martin

DE Akheem Mesidor

BANDIT Taurus Simmons

What are your expectations for Eddie Watkins in 2020? Let us know your thought in the comment section below!

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