Rico Watkins

PRIOR TO VALDOSTA STATE: Saw action in two games at East Carolina in 2023. HIGH SCHOOL: Two-sport athlete (football, track) … Earned three letters on the gridiron under head coach Quintin Lewis primarily in the secondary and as a wide receiver … Helped the Raiders to 20 wins over three seasons including a 9-3 mark as a sophomore … For his career, he caught 91 passes for 1,623 yards (17.8 ypc) with 13 touchdowns … Added 387 yards on the ground (20 carries) with three additional scores … Earned First-Team All-Big Bend accolades as an defensive and offensive player following his senior season … Defensively he booked 32 stops (22 solo) with a sack … Picked off seven passes and was credited with 10 pass breakups … Offensively he hauled in 46 passes for 765 yards (16.6 ypc) with three touchdowns … Tallied a pair of 100-plus yard receiving games (134 vs. Edison, 131 vs. Wakulla) … Rushed 28 times for 343 yards (12.3 ypr) with three more scores … Also completed 6 of 10 passes for 55 yards … Named MaxPreps Player-of-the-Game on Oct. 14 versus Lincoln after completing 2 of 3 passes for 24 yards, while rushing nine times for 28 yards and catching five passes for 50 yards … Rushed for a career-best 106 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown in a 38-25 win against Edison … During junior season he earned Tallahassee Democrat All-Big Bend Second-Team honors after hauling down 23 passes for 563 yards and seven touchdowns … Opened varsity career as a wide receiver where he caught 22 balls for 227 yards (10.3 ypc) and scored three times … Member of the 4x100 relay team as a sophomore that placed sixth at Florida’s 3A state track meet … Three-star prospect according to 247Sports Composite, ESPN, On3 and Rivals