LSU Fall Camp Update & Preview Week 1 vs. USC! | On3 Roundtable

LSUThe starters have been able to stay pretty healthy on both sides of the ball throughout fall camp. But on Tuesday, the freshman wide receiver Jelani Watkins He suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for the remainder of practice and forced him to use crutches and a walking boot for the Tigers’ practice on Wednesday.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly addressed Watkins’ injury during his post-practice press conference on Wednesday.

“Jelani sprained his foot and ankle. We did an MRI, so there’s no Lisfranc,” Kelly said. “So it’s going to be a soft tissue injury. Owen and his team will get him back to full fitness pretty quickly.”

That Watkins’ injury was not serious bodes well for the freshman, who played with the third- and fourth-team wide receivers during fall camp in Baton Rouge. Watkins has shown during fall camp that he can get on the field as a kickoff and punt returner for the Tigers.

The former four-star wide receiver was born in LaPlace, Louisiana, but played high school football in Atascocita in Houston, Texas. Watkins was ranked as the No. 217 player in the country and the No. 36 wide receiver for the 2024 recruiting class. On3 Industry Rankinga weighted average using all four major recruiting media companies.

Last month at SEC Media Days, Kelly mentioned Watkins as one of three freshmen who could contribute to the Tigers team next season, highlighting his outstanding speed and immediate playability.

“We have some freshmen that I think are ready to play,” Kelly said. “We have a defensive tackle in Dom McKinley. We have a defensive end in Gabe Reifford. We have a wide receiver in Jelani Watkinswho is perhaps one of the fastest players in the country, who I think is well positioned because of our summer training and can contribute right away. And that’s just a few guys.”

In addition to being a standout football athlete in high school, Watkins was also a standout track and field athlete. He was a two-time Texas UIL 6A state champion in the 200-meter dash and also ran the final leg of the Klein High School 4×100-meter relay before transferring to Atascocita prior to his senior year.

Hopefully, Watkins will be fully healthy soon so he can potentially contribute to LSU’s return game and add some speed to the wide receivers who are looking to replace two 1,000-yard receivers who have moved on to the NFL.