Report: Auburn’s Hugh Freeze to hire Kenyatta Watson as director of recruiting research

Hugh Freeze is anticipated to appoint Kenyatta Watson as Auburn’s director of recruiting research and strategy, marking his second staff hire.

Carl Reed Jr. of CBS Sports broke the story first on Thursday.

Watson will be hired after serving as Georgia Tech’s director of scouting and pro liaison for the previous two seasons. Watson was “heavily involved in the Yellow Jackets’ recruiting efforts, evaluating both high school student-athletes and those that have joined the NCAA Transfer Portal,” according to his profile on the Georgia Tech website. In addition, Watson managed Georgia Tech’s connections with professional scouts.The news of Watson’s hiring follows Freeze’s recent bolstering of Auburn’s recruiting staff, which included the hiring of TJ Randall in a player personnel and scouting capacity and Will Redmond in a job akin to general manager.

Watson was the director of player relations for the Seminoles at Florida State for nine months before coming to Georgia Tech.With Watson’s anticipated arrival, Auburn’s program will gain recognition in the Atlanta region because Watson spent ten years training athletes there in the past. Watson was Grayson High School’s director of football operations and recruiting from 2014 to 2018 in Logansville, Georgia. Watson assisted around 120 student-athletes in receiving college scholarships when he was at Grayson.

Watson, a Deerfield Beach, Florida native, played wide receiver for Boston College from 1993 to 1996. Kenyatta Watson II, Watson’s son, plays defensive back for Georgia Tech right now.