KG Film Room: Isreal Watson

With the KansasGridiron Top 25 kicking off this week, our series of Film Room breakdowns begins with wide receiver Isreal Watson.

A 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior from Shawnee Mission West, the 2017 prospect presents problems for opposing defenses. Initial impressions always begin with his size. Possessing a long, athletic frame, he often stands several inches taller than many of the defensive backs trying to cover him. He "starts" well, coming off the line smoothly for a bigger receiver, and accelerates out of his breaks.

Watson is an explosive athlete. A standout track and field athlete, Watson qualified for state last spring in the long jump with a personal best of 22-feet, 3-inches, and has a vertical leap of 35-inches. He uses that power well with his frame and long arms. He consistently gains inside leverage, shielding defenders from the throw, and high-pointing the football. He catches the ball smoothly with his hands, and is not afraid to work through contact for a contested pass.

Watson is a solid to good route runner. Given his frame, he is often used to attack down the field, but he has shown he can shake loose from coverage on underneath routes. With a 4.29-second 5-10-5 shuttle to his credit, he has good change of direction, but it's the ability to separate from defenses that keeps coaches around the Sunflower League up at night. He clocked a 4.64-second 40 yard dash this summer, but looked faster when he took a 7-yard pass almost the length of the field for a touchdown against Shawnee Mission East, one of the best defenses in Kansas Class 6A.

Watson is an intriguing prospect with his size and athleticism. In addition to playing WR, he also works in the Vikings secondary, and has the kind of measureables that defensive coordinators love in a safety. However, given he had just 33 receptions last season, he is still something of an unknown at receiver. With 812 yards and five touchdowns, he averaged a staggering 24.6-yards per catch, and may have only hinted at what he could be capable of with the ball in his hands more often. A big senior season at West could be just what the numerous Division I programs showing interest in him are looking for.