Ole Miss wide receiver Jordan Watkins enjoying some very special firsts
FAYETTEVILLE — Ole Miss wide receiver Jordan Watkins has experienced some very special firsts recently. Twelve days ago, his first child, a little girl named Kamrynn Grae Watkins, was born. And on Saturday, he became the first player in school history to notch five touchdowns in a single game as the Rebels defeated Arkansas, 63-31.
Watkins now also sits atop first place with the most receiving yards in a single game, 254, breaking Jonathan Mingo’s 247 yards against Vanderbilt in 2022. His touchdown record beats teammate Tre Harris’ four TDs against Mercer in 2023.
Jordan Watkins set multiple records today 🔥
254 Yards (School Record)
5 TDs (School Record) @jordantwatkins | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/rRwQYfhxgN— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 2, 2024
After the win over the Hogs, Watkins explained that he has even more motivation nowadays.
“I’ve always loved football since I was kid and this meant a lot to me, personally, but now I think I play the game for a bigger reason other than myself. I told (Caden) Prieskorn last week, I was like, ‘Man, I don’t even want to put my daughter down.’ I really hate being away from her right now…I know if I just keep doing what I need to do on the football field, things will take care of themselves and (I can) make sure she’s good for the rest of her life. That’s all that matters to me now. It’s bigger than me now. It’s all about her.”
Wide receiver Jordan Watkins
Watkins’ big day marked just the 12th 250-yard receiving performance in SEC history, and the fourth on single-digit receptions (8). His five TD receptions tied the conference’s single-game record, shared with five others.
Three of Watkins’ five scores came on passes of at least 62 yards, scoring twice from 62 and once from 66. He currently leads the FBS now with four receptions of at least 60 yards—all for touchdowns—and in his Ole Miss career, he now owns seven receptions of at least 60 yards.
JORDAN WATKINS.
THAT’S IT. THAT’S THE TWEET. pic.twitter.com/rOcfdkQtmN
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 2, 2024
Watkins credited his teammates for his special day.
“Having the performance I did today, that’s all because of them and the preparation and them sticking with me and giving me the confidence.”
Watkins transferred in to Ole Miss at the same time as quarterback Jaxson Dart — who also had a monumental day — and he explained what it feels like to get a win after the Rebs lost to Arkansas two years ago in Fayetteville
“It meant the world, honestly. Two years (ago) we came in here and the roles were actually flipped. We made a lot of mistakes that game. To come in here and play collectively as a team like we did, it’s awesome, special. Something I’ll remember forever.”
Jordan Watkins
Watkins joins Mingo, Elijah Moore and AJ Brown as the only Rebels with 225-plus-yard receiving efforts.
(Feature image credit: Karis Chambliss, The Rebel Walk)
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
