Breaking: Florida State’s 6-foot-7 forward Jamir Watkins Considers Louisville over Kentucky, and Illinois for Final Collegiate Season
Florida State University’s leading scorer, Jamir Watkins, has entered the NCAA transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag, indicating he may already have a destination in mind. Watkins, a 6-foot-7 forward, led the Seminoles in the 2024–25 season with 18.4 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 32 starts. This was his second season playing for Florida State after transferring from VCU, where he began his college basketball career. Watkins missed the 2021–22 season due to a knee injury but has accumulated career averages of 12.9 points and 5.1 rebounds over 126 games. He has one year of eligibility remaining and earned All-ACC Second Team honors as the conference’s fourth-leading scorer. His decision to transfer makes him the 10th Florida State player to enter the portal since longtime head coach Leonard Hamilton retired and was succeeded by Luke Loucks.
According to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman, three schools are in the mix for Watkins: Louisville, Kentucky, and Illinois. Each of these programs made it to the NCAA Tournament, and similar success is expected for the 2025–26 season.
Watkins began his collegiate career at VCU, playing two years for the Rams before transferring to Florida State ahead of the 2023–24 season. He signed with VCU as a member of its 2020 recruiting class and went on to play in 26 games during his true freshman season. He was forced to miss all of his sophomore season nursing a knee injury before returning for the 2022 season. He went on to average 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on a 41 percent clip. He eventually entered the transfer portal in the spring, where he went on to commit to the Seminoles.
As Watkins evaluates his options, his decision will be closely watched by fans and analysts alike. His choice could significantly impact the fortunes of whichever program he joins for the upcoming season.
