After a freshman season swimming in the proverbial deep end, cornerback Nick Watkins enters his sophomore season with a better understanding of Brian VanGorder’s defense. And he better. Because with KeiVarae Russell and Cole Luke in front of him, Watkins’ path to the field is just as tough as it was in 2014.
The talented Texas native has never been short of physical gifts. And with a depth chart infused by competitive freshmen like Shaun Crawford and Nick Coleman, Watkins may have passed veteran Devin Butler in the depth chart, but faces challengers at every level in a secondary that must be better than last year’s edition.