Virginia Tech has offered Baltimore St. Frances 2026 offensive lineman John Watkins. Here's a quick look at him.
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Boston College, Maryland, Charlotte
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Watkins and a couple of his teammates were offered after Virginia Tech stopped by the Saint Frances Academy program yesterday. VT's relationships at SFA have been up-and-down over time, but with running backs coach and area recruiting ace Elijah Brooks on his trail, it stands to reason that the playing field is at least level, if not tilting back in the direction of Orange and Maroon. Getting them on a group visit to campus this offseason would go a long way toward giving the Hokies a serious foothold.
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Game breakdown
Watkins is a tall but broadly-built kid whose future may be on the interior of the offensive line (where he also plays in high school) in spite of his height. He has advanced footwork in pass protection, where he does a solid job anchoring his inside foot and kicking out, before shuffling back in when necessary. He's also good at keeping his feet moving in run-blocking, which is something young players often have to learn. His natural power is incredible - when he gets his hands on a defender, he can direct that player wherever he wants him to go. He can be a little bit sloppy with hand placement, which will draw holding calls at the next level, and he doesn't show a ton of lateral movement in the run game (pulls, etc.), but the pieces are there to be a major prospect as he continues developing.
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