Tennessee impresses 2027 DB Jett Watson during Orange and White Game visit

As there were many visitors in Knoxville for the annual Orange and White Game, one prospect has a slightly different story than most.

2027 Grayson (Ga.) defensive back Jett Watson had one of his best visits thus far in his recruitment when he and his mother made the trip north to Tennessee.

Despite being in the class of 2027, this wasn't his first trip to Knoxville, though.

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Watson comes from an athletic family as both parents were athletes at Boston College. His mother, Janelle Ferguson Watson, was a basketball star, while father, Kenyatta Watson Sr., was a playmaking football player on the gridiron.

So, no surprise that the athletic gene is strong, especially with their oldest son, Kenyatta Watson II, who is a defensive at Georgia State.

It was as the older brother was taking visits that his younger brother, Jett Watson, was able to get a very early look at many programs across the country, including the Vols. So this was a familiar trip to a familiar place, but with a new head coach in charge with a new sense of direction for the program.

"My visit was by far one of the best collegiate visits I've been on," said Jett Watson. "The atmosphere in Knoxville is amazing. The people there were very nice. The coaches were very good and making sure the players are enjoying the environment they're in."

The freshman defensive back understands that school is a very important aspect, and it hit a good nerve for that to be a point of emphasis as the staff is evaluating each player and learning about them.

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"What stood out the most to me was the facility, the coaches and the way that I was frequently asked questions about the school itself, not the football program," said Jett Watson.

The coaching staff certainly did their job at recruiting from a football standpoint, as well, but they were able to do that with actions and just letting the visitors observe them and evaluate the coaches themselves from afar.

Jett Watson was able to take away a lot from what he was able to see as the coaches engaged their kids and prepared them for the game.

"One take away I got from the coaching style of the staff at Tennessee is that they are very invested in their players and making sure that they are perfecting their craft," said Jett Watson. "One thing I noticed from Coach (Willie) Martinez's coaching was that even in the middle of the process, he was always just trying to pour into his guys."

That apparently translated very well to the field as the defensive back group appeared to be locked in, to Watson.

That is for certain a good way to make a solid impression on a young prospect.

"A couple of things that impressed me about the DB group was how they were very fluently when they moved and were able to make plays whenever the ball came to them," said Jett Watson.

The Vols recently had an addition to their staff in adding a Defensive Scouting Coordinator in Steven Ruzic. The addition of Ruzic is great, as the new addition has deep ties in the state of Georgia, Florida, Indiana and many others. However, Georgia is probably the strongest as Ruzic attended Valdosta State in Valdosta, Georgia.

Ruzic is very familiar with the Watson family, so it was the norm for the two to link up and converse during the visit.

"Me and Coach Ruzic have a very good relationship," said Jett Watson. "He showed me around Tennessee and made it feel like home."

The overall trip was a success. The freshman defensive back felt the family-like atmosphere Josh Heupel has brought to Knoxville and it stood out during the visit.

"My overall feel for Tennessee is like home," said Jett Watson. "It has always felt like that even from the beginning, the fans have always showed love and they've always had a good coaching staff. The culture of Tennessee stands out to me more than anything. I love how everyone in Knoxville knows that Tennessee is the program."

The Vols definitely helped themselves in the early stages in the recruitment of Watson as he plans to return in the summer. He also intends to camp for the coaches so they can evaluate him in person.

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