Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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NICKWATKINS CORNERBACK 6-1 · 190 BISHOP DUNNE CATHOLIC H.S. DESOTO, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 23 30 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 123 14 14 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 186 15 22 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 205 20 29 MEASURABLES • Runs a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and a 4.19 in the 20-yard shuttle. STATISTICS • During senior campaign, he tallied 32 tackles, intercepted 10 passes and returned two for touch- downs at cornerback. At wide receiver, he caught 46 passes for 630 yards and nine touchdowns. • As a junior, he had 58 tackles, grabbed five inter- ceptions and forced one fumble. • During sophomore season, he recorded 49 tack- les, three interceptions and recovered two fumbles. HONORS • After his senior season, was named Texas Associa- tion of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) class 5A first-team all-district and first-team all-state, and tabbed as the TAPPS District I Division I Defensive MVP. • Named to USA Today American Family Insurance All-USA Texas team for 2013. • Rated as the No. 8 player in the Dallas area by the Dallas Morning News. • Following his sophomore and junior campaigns, was named a TAPPS class 5A first-team all-district and all-state honorable mention. • As a freshman, was named TAPPS class 5A all- district honorable mention. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played in the Under Armour All-American Game Jan. 4 in St. Petersburg, Fla., and tallied one tackle. RECRUITMENT • Offered by Notre Dame on May 31, 2012, and committed on Nov. 1, 2013. • Chose the Irish over Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas. • Primary recruiter at Notre Dame was corner- backs coach Kerry Cooks. • Official visit to South Bend was on Oct. 18, 2013, for the game against USC. • Took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame on April 11, 2013. NOTABLE • Born on Jan. 27, 1996. • Has a 3.18 cumulative GPA for high school. • Named homecoming king during the first semes- ter of his senior year. • His father, Bobby Sr., played at Southwest Texas (now Texas State) and with NFL's Detroit Lions (1982-88). Bobby Sr. was a second-round draft pick and went on to notch 20 interceptions and six fumbles recoveries in his career. • Older brother, Bobby, was senior defensive back at Air Force in 2013. 2014 PROJECTION • Expected to compete for playing time behind the starting tandem of KeiVarae Russell and Cole Luke during his first year in South Bend. THEY SAID IT Brian Kelly's Comments: "This is a long corner. This is draft day, you're getting a No.1 draft pick. This kid is an exceptional football player. We think we got one of the best corners around. Long, athletic, can really do a lot of things for us. "He can play man, he can play zone. I got a chance to see him play. I didn't see him play one game in person, but I saw a lot of his tape. I just think he's an outstanding player that is going to develop here, and again, from my standpoint, love the ability that we can get a corner that has some size to him."