East Nashville 3-star ATH Jashon Watkins commits to Memphis over Tennessee, Ole Miss, others

Memphis coaches wasted little time hitting the recruiting trail after the AAC championship game. The Tigers secured a commitment from three-star athlete Jashon Watkins Monday night.

Watkins, from East Nashville Magnet School, chose Memphis over offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Florida, among others. He is ranked the nation's No. 32 athlete according to 247Sports' composite rankings. 

He's also the third player from Nashville to commit to Memphis in the 2019 recruiting class. Hillsboro High School teammates Gyasi Mattison and Joseph Honeysucker committed to the Tigers in the summer.

At 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, Watkins lined up at both wide receiver and defensive back. He caught five touchdowns in his senior year, ran for two more and also had two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdowns.

Memphis has found success recruiting in Nashville during Mike Norvell's three-year tenure. In 2017, the Tigers signed both offensive lineman Obinna Eze and defensive back TJ Carter.

The Tigers' class of 2019 now stands at 17 players, 16 of which are rated as three-star recruits. It's currently ranked No. 55 nationally according to 247Sports, which would surpass Memphis' 2017 class that ranked No. 56.

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Memphis class of 2019 commitments

TE Drew Martin, North Little Rock (Ark.): 3-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports, No. 14 recruit in Arkansas (247Sports)

QB Sheldon Layman, McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.): 3-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports, No. 42 pro-style QB (247Sports), No. 50 recruit in Alabama (247Sports)

RB Rodrigues Clark, Starkville (Miss.): 3-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports, No. 35 recruit in Mississippi (Rivals)

ATH CJ Johnson, Greenwood (Miss.): 3-star recruit by Rivals

OL Jacob Likes, Christian Brothers (Memphis): 3-star recruit by 247Sports

DB Maliek Stallings, Noxubee County (Miss.): 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals

DE/LB Joseph Honeysucker, Hillsboro (Nashville): 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals

OL Brian Thomas, Hutchinson Community College (Kansas): 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals

RB Jarod Conner, Hattiesburg (Miss.): 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals

WR Javon Ivory, Clarke County (Ala.): 2-star recruit by 247Sports

ATH Gyasi Mattison, Hillsboro (Nashville): 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals

DE Cole Mashburn, Norman North (Okla.): 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals; No. 33 defensive end in nation (247Sports), No. 7 recruit in Oklahoma (247Sports)

ILB Ja'Len Sims, Fultondale (Ala.): 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. No. 26 inside linebacker (247Sports), No. 18 recruit in Alabama (247Sports). 

WR Cameron Baker, Germantown: 3-star recruit by Rivals. No. 72 player in Tennessee (247Sports)

DE Wardalis Ducksworth, Jones County Junior College (Miss.): 3-star recruit by 247Sports. No. 78 player in JUCO rankings (247Sports)

ATH Jashon Watkins, East Nashville Magnet: 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. No. 32 athlete in nation, No. 19 recruit in Tennessee (247Sports)