Former Florida High School Football Standout Inks Massive NIL Deal

Winston “Winnie” Watkins lands nearly $7 million NIL deal with TikTok.

Venice wide receiver Winston Watkins (#1) scores. Venice celebrated a huge win 55-26 over the West Orange Warriors, winning the Class 7A-Region 2 Final, at Powell-Davis Stadium in Venice, FL, on Friday night Nov. 29, 2024. / Thomas Bender / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A former Florida high school football standout who recently transferred between SEC college football powers has landed a massive name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with TikTok.

Winston “Winnie” Watkins, who started his high school career at Fort Myers Evangelical Christian and ended it at Venice High School with a run at IMG Academy in between, is reported to have signed the NIL deal with after growing a large TikTok Community for his livestreams, according to a report by Cultured Reb on X (formerly known as Twitter).

BREAKING:

LSU standout wide receiver Winston “Winnie” Watkins has just signed an NIL deal with TikTok for $6.8 million dollars (per sources). Winston is well known in the TikTok Community for his livestreams - an impressive addition to his NIL resume. 🐅#JustDifferent pic.twitter.com/KuvOXHM0u4

— Cultured Reb (@CulturedReb) January 25, 2026

Winston "Winnie" Watkins First Landed Massive NIL Deal Before Playing First College Snap

This is not the only time Watkins has secured an NIL agreement, as he signed with Adidas in June 2024 as part of the “AdiZero 7 Class,” which consisted of seven top high school football players who were signed to represent the brand.

Success has followed Watkins throughout his high school and college football career - which has also seen him transfer multiple times.

Watkins played varsity as an eighth-grade at Fort Myers Evangelical Christian, recording 653 yards of total offense and three touchdowns while earning a spot in the FBU Freshman All-American Bowl.

He transferred to IMG Academy and was a reserve as a freshman for the national power before catching on as a sophomore, where he recorded 25 receptions for 393 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Well-traveled Florida High School Football Prospect Had Multiple 1,000-Yard Receiving Seasons

Watkins played for both IMG Academy and First Baptist Academy in Naples, Florida as a junior, catching nine passes for 133 yards and two TDs in three games at IMG Academy before recording 61 receptions for 1,170 yards and 13 touchdowns at First Baptist Academy.

He also had 51 yards rushing and two TDs with two more punt returns for scores.

For his senior season, though, Watkins transferred to Venice High School, catching 78 passes for 1,011 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was selected to the 2025 All-American Bowl and committed to join Deion Sanders at Colorado.

Winnie Watkins Now Headed To LSU To Rejoin Lane Kiffin

Instead, Watkins flipped to Mississippi and Lane Kiffin, where he finished with 26 receptions for 373 yards and a touchdown. Watkins entered the transfer portal, following Kiffin to LSU.

Watkins is cousins with former Clemson and NFL standout Sammy Watkins, along with Austin Watkins, who played at UAB and signed with the San Francisco 49ers. 

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