Rivals100 DB talks renewed interest in Vols, staff's championship mentality
Kenyatta Watson II has never been shy about how much he likes Tennessee.
The campus. The school. The people.
The Rivals100 defensive back considered the Vols one of his early leaders last December, but the Grayson High (Ga.) product ultimately committed to Florida State in April.
But in college football, with constant coaching changes and staff upheaval, recruiting is a fickle and fluid deal, and after a pair of huge moves in both Tallahassee and Knoxville, Watson is suddenly back on the market and interested in the Vols once again.
“Whenever we go up to Tennessee it’s always a great visit,” Watson told VolQuest after tripping to Rocky Top with five of his Rams teammates over the weekend.
“The fan base is always showing love. The city is great and the new coaches just really made it feel like it was home.
“It was good to meet all the former coaches that I knew that are now all at Tennessee together. It was a great experience again, as always.”
After visiting UT more than 10 times in the last four years, Watson is plenty familiar with all bells and whistles with the Vols, but right away, the 4-star defensive back could sense the sea change in Knoxville. The vibe was different. The staff had real continuity.
Watson had previous relationships with head coach Jeremy Pruitt, safeties coach Charles Kelly, who was his lead recruiter at FSU, and cornerbacks assistant Terry Fair, making the visit feel familiar and comfortable.
"It felt more like a family because I knew the coaches so better, and always the coaches knew each other so much better because they’ve coached and played together. It felt like everyone was more in sync with what they wanted to do at Tennessee,” Watson said.
And what do they want to do?
“They just want to win a national championship,” Watson said, point blank.
“They want to bring Tennessee back to the level it was in the 1990s when Tennessee was just rolling, winning games and just up there in the rankings always.
“That’s what they want. They want to bring that back.”
At 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, Watson has the frame and skill-set to play corner or safety in college. He’s lined up at both spots in high school and his aggressive mentality — inspired by his favorite player Jalen Ramsey — fits right in with Pruitt’s scheme.
According to Watson, he spent a lot of individual time with Pruitt and Kelly on Saturday, and the message was fairly simple: We want and need you.
“They want to turn it around (here),” Watson said.
“Pruitt told me that he really liked my film, and thinks that at the next level I have a chance to be a great football player and can help me get to the NFL.”
Since decommitting from FSU on January 7, Watson has garnered significant interest from Notre Dame, Michigan and Texas, among others. With a fresh start, he’s in no hurry to pick another school, focusing on visits and training this offseason instead.
“The process is slowing down for me. I’m not in a rush to choose any college now,” Watson explained.
“I’m really just (re-starting) the process, focusing on my team and visiting some schools. That’s all I’m really worried about right now.”
But did Tennessee move back up into the top group after all the changes on Rocky Top?
“Definitely. I think they have in all honesty,” he said.