JuJu Watkins’ Historic Moment Comes With Jayden Daniels Dating Speculation

USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins' big night came with a cameo from one unsurprising NFL quarterback.

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans basketball player JuJu Watkins was on hand as she was named the tunnel captain the the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, women's basketball fans have not gotten to watch USC Trojans superstar guard JuJu Watkins compete during this 2025-26 NCAA season, as Watkins is still recovering from the torn ACL she suffered during last season's NCAA Tournament.

And Watkins will remain sidelined for the rest of the Trojans' current campaign, no matter how far they make it, as she will ensure that she's 100% for the next season. While not having Watkins on the court is obviously a disappointment for fans, the bottom line is that she has a long and fruitful career ahead of her, and it would be silly to risk any further injuries by coming back to the court before she's fully ready.

Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

But being sidelined hasn't kept Watkins from getting her well-deserved flowers. This was made clear when the 20-year-old had her jersey retired from her high school alma mater, Sierra Canyon, on January 9.

This was a historic occasion for Watkins and her former school, as she became the first Sierra Canyon basketball player to ever get their jersey retired.

There have been plenty of elite basketball players to come from Sierra Canyon, including Marvin Bagley III and Bronny James, who is the son of NBA legend LeBron James. But Watkins is the only one with a jersey in the rafters, as her No. 12 has now been immortalized.

Dec 11, 2021; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Sierra Canyon High School guard Bronny James looks on against Perry High School at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Jayden Daniels appears at JuJu Watkins’ historic Sierra Canyon jersey retirement

The @SCNext X account posted a video of Watkins' jersey retirement ceremony. And fans couldn't help but notice that Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was in attendance.

JuJu Watkins becomes the first Sierra Canyon basketball player EVER to get their jersey retired 🔥👀

A well-deserved honor! pic.twitter.com/p5gdyxQTO0

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) January 10, 2026

This is far from the first time that Watkins and Daniels have been seen in public together, and further adds fuel to the fact that these two could be in a relationship.

Many of the comments on that photo mention that these two often appear in public together. Last March, they were seen speaking with each other at a basketball game before Daniels' mother came and sat between them, which social media found hilarious.

Funny interaction yesterday between Jayden Daniels & JuJu Watkins…and Jayden’s mom, Regina Jackson. 😂

(via:@bigphillva6) pic.twitter.com/OanB5fepLV

— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) March 23, 2025

Other fans are playing into the common joke that Daniels and Watkins are cousins, which was a rumor that came up and made some question whether these two were really dating. But there's no evidence or credible proof to suggest Watkins and Daniels are related in any way.

What's for sure is that Daniels showing up to support Watkins in this way speaks volumes about how he views her.