Roster Rundown: No. 66 Naasir Watkins

Naasir Watkins represents to a great degree the way development and continuity has helped Kentucky build one of the nation's best recent offensive line traditions.

He's next up in Cats Illustrated's Roster Rundown series.

Background: Watkins arrived at Kentucky as a three-star (5.5 RR) recruit from Olney (Md.) Good Counsel, a teammate and classmate of defensive end Josh Paschal. Watkins was ranked the No. 23 player in Maryland but the UK coaches felt like they got a steal in him. He played tight end as well as offensive line in high school and that spoke to his athletic potential.

Watkins has seen action in 24 games over the last two seasons. Watkins' primary role has been the No. 1 backup on both the left and right sides for Kentucky, which speaks to his versatility and the trust the coaches have in him to provide reliable depth as someone who could otherwise be a starter.

2020 Outlook: Because of Watkins history of starting and/or playing quality snaps for Kentucky it's hard to imagine he won't get plenty of opportunities to make an impact again this fall.

Now a redshirt junior, he's been in the program for a long time and knows his assignments inside and out.

With Landon Young and Darian Kinnard penciled in as the likely starters that remains a question for him but between players rotating, injuries, and the possibility of Darian Kinnard rotating in to guard — and with that being a possibility because Watkins is a capable tackle — expect to see him again making an impact for Kentucky.