Ole Miss true freshman WR set to enter transfer portal, per report
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Ole Miss lost its chance at a national championship in a Thursday night heartbreaker, and one day later the Rebels appear to have lost a wide receiver for the 2026 season.
With Ole Miss being eliminated by Miami in a Fiesta Bowl thriller followed by star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss being denied his waiver appeal for another season of eligibility, the sting has now hit the wideout position with true freshman Winston Watkins planning to enter the transfer portal.
On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported the expected transfer of Watkins on Friday afternoon, just hours after Ole Miss’s 2025 season ended in crushing fashion in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Watkins didn’t suffer from a lack of playing time in his apparent only season in Oxford. He appeared in all 15 games for Ole Miss despite being a true freshman, catching 26 passes for 373 yards and a touchdown during the 2025 season. Watkins added 21 yards rushing on 5 carries.
He was limited to 1 catch for 3 yards in the semifinal loss to Miami, which reportedly will serve as the final game at Ole Miss for the high-profile product of Venice, Fla.
Watkins had his best performance of the 2025 season in Ole Miss’s huge victory over Oklahoma. He caught 4 passes for 111 yards in that road win over the Sooners.
Now, Watkins is reportedly headed elsewhere to continue his collegiate career.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
