Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 51-10vs Clemson | 7 | 110 | 15.7 | 1 | 32 | Season-high 110 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 45-14vs Louisiana Tech | 5 | 43 | 8.6 | 0 | 17 | |
| Total | 12 | 153 | 12.1 | 1 | 32 |
#6
Winston Watkins
Sophomore wide receiver for LSU. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 182 lb · Fort Myers, FL
CFB Index 40 · #300 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceTransferred Ole Miss → LSU for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
153
receiving yards · 2026
12 catches · 1 TD · 12.8 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 rec, 110 yds, 1 TD, vs Clemson
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 wide receiver for LSU. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Ole Miss in 2025.
- Transferred from Ole Miss to LSU in 2026.
Winston Watkins
Moves the chains on third down. He got to LSU by way of Ole Miss. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: SEC Freshman Player of the Week. One game to point at: 110 rec yds, 14 rush yds against Clemson — Week 1, 2026.
153 REC YDS · 12 REC · 1 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- portal record
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
The week the volume broke through — put up 111 yds at Oklahoma.Oklahoma · W 34-262025
202511 games
- Signed with Ole Miss4-star out of Venice
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎓
FRESHMAN HONORS
Freshman recognition (2025)
1 mention(s)
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
LSU
Coaching transition mid-career: Frank Wilson → Lane Kiffin. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to LSU
2025Ole Miss
2026LSU
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Ole Miss13-2HC: Lane Kiffin · Balanced
2026LSU2-0HC: Lane Kiffin · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles
High confidence
Elite: rush yards (92nd percentile). Concern: receptions (12th percentile).
Real play-by-play efficiency
Box-score rates (7)
Season trend
Last seasonThis season
EPA / target
90th → 48th percentile
Explosive rate
81st → 69th percentile
Catch rate
76th → 31st percentile
TD rate
18th → 50th percentile
Yards / catch
81st → 63rd percentile
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 6.0 REC/g, 76.5 YDS/g, 12.1 YPR, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lane Kiffin
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 51–10
vs Clemson
14 rush yds (1 car)
Dominant 41-point win at home against Clemson.
With S. Leavitt — 230 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · 113 rush yds (12 car) · 2 TD · P. Wright III — 3 rec · 70 yds · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Clemson · 3&5 · Q3 · EPA +3.74(08:26) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete deep left to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at CLEM05, for 32 yards to the CLEM00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 08:21, 1ST DOWN #80 S.Starzyk kick attempt good (H: #90 G.Chadwick, LS: #43 S.Hall)
- Week 1 · Clemson · 3&6 · Q2 · EPA +3.04(10:58) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short right to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at LSU30, for 20 yards to the CLEM48 (#8 C.Gipson), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Louisiana Tech · 4&2 · Q2 · EPA +1.80(06:41) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short right to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at LAT36, for 3 yards to the LAT33 (#20 T.Jones), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Louisiana Tech · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.51(11:36) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short right to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at LAT50, for 17 yards to the LAT46 (#0 J.Mcrae), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Louisiana Tech · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.47(03:57) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short left to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at LAT08, for 6 yards to the LAT02 (#24 A.Jackson Jr.), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Clemson · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.08(06:39) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short right to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at CLEM47, for 9 yards to the CLEM41 (#7 J.Alexander; #5 R.Hanafin)
- Week 1 · Clemson · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.88(01:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short middle to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at CLEM32, for 27 yards to the CLEM18 (#8 C.Gipson; #22 C.Myrick), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Clemson · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.75(11:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 W.Watkins Jr. rush right for 14 yards gain to the CLEM34 (#6 J.Carter III; #22 C.Myrick), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Clemson · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.58(10:40) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short left to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at CLEM45, for 7 yards to the CLEM45 (#1 B.Strozier)
- Week 1 · Clemson · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA +0.33(04:26) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 S.Leavitt pass complete short right to #6 W.Watkins Jr. caught at CLEM16, for 11 yards to the CLEM16 (#8 C.Gipson; #5 R.Hanafin), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Possession Receiver
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
WR
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Sa'Mory Collier’s 2017 season.
Matches Sa'Mory on
Height
Reception volume
TD rate
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Blayne Taylor’s path through Abilene Christian.
Matches Blayne on
Yards per reception
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Marcus Fleming's sophomore season at Maryland (2021).
Matches Marcus on
Yards / reception
Total EPA (college ability)
Reception volume
Differs from Marcus on
Weight (higher)
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #93
Peaked at #93 this season.
The receiver room · LSU
- #4Jackson Harris963 receiving yards · 2025
- #2Tre' Brown III762 receiving yards · 2025
- #1Jayce Brown712 receiving yards · 2025
- #6Winston Watkins373 receiving yards · 2025
- #82Roman Mothershed259 receiving yards · 2025
9 more on the roster · LSU team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology