Northwestern’s Tamarion Watkins named SC Mr. Football for 2025 season
A week after helping his team to its second straight state title, Tamarion Watkins has been named Mr. Football for the state of South Carolina.
Watkins becomes the second Northwestern player to win Mr. Football, joining QB Gage Maloney (2016). He received the award Saturday at halftime of the Touchstone Energy Bowl all-star game.
Other Rock Hill-area players to have won the award include South Pointe’s Jadeveon Clowney and Stephon Gilmore.
“The opportunity to be able to hold this trophy and know it is mine, I am blessed,” Watkins said. “I just thank my community, coaches and family for everything they have done for me.”
Watkins tried to keep the excitement in check but said winning the award will probably hit him on the road back to Rock Hill.
“I am pretty sure when I get to the car and sit and think about it, I will cry,” Watkins said.
Watkins was one of five finalists for the award, which takes into account success on and off the field. The other finalists were Dorman’s Kentavion Anderson, South Pointe’s J’Zavien Currence, Carvers Bay’s Zyon Guiles and Dillon’s Zamaurious Robertson.
Northwestern coach Page Wofford remembers meeting Watkins, who was in eighth grade and taking part in weight training. Wofford remembers Watkins up on varsity after his freshman season for the playoffs and was impressed from then on.
“He was covering our receivers in practices, and we are like, ‘Where has this guy been? We could use him right now,’” Wofford said of Watkins’ freshman season. “We weren’t sure what we had at that point. But those couple practices we had with him when we went to the state championship his freshman year. Then his sophomore year, he kind of took off for us.
“A guy with that size, speed and skill set is special. … When you are 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and move like that, it is a whole other animal.”
Watkins, a safety, helped the Trojans to the Class 5A Division II state championship. This season, he had 80 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks. In the state championship game, the Texas A&M signee returned an interception for a touchdown.
For his career, Watkins had 145 tackles, six interceptions and 4.5 sacks.
With his high school career wrapped up, Watkins will be headed to Texas A&M this month to enroll early. The Aggies made the College Football Playoffs and will host Miami on Dec. 21.
SC Mr. Football Recipients
Year, Name, Position, School, College
1995 — Jermale Kelley, WR, Berea, South Carolina
1996 — Kyle Young, OL, Daniel, Clemson
1997 — Chris Hope, DB, Rock Hill, Florida State
1998 — Derek Watson, RB, Palmetto, South Carolina
1999 — Mark Logan, QB, Greenwood, Georgia Tech
2000 — Roscoe Crosby, WR, Union, Clemson
2001 — Moe Thompson, DE, Stratford, South Carolina
2002 — Eric McCollom, QB, Camden, Iowa
2003 — Trey Elder, QB, Byrnes, Appalachian State
2004 — J.D. Melton, QB, Myrtle Beach, Navy
2005 — Prince Miller, DB, Byrnes, Georgia
2006 — Malcolm Long, QB, Gaffney, South Carolina State
2007 — Richard Mounce, QB, Blythewood, Charleston Southern
2008 — Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Pointe, South Carolina
2009 — Marcus Lattimore, RB, Byrnes, South Carolina
2010 — Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Pointe, South Carolina
2011 —Shaq Roland, WR, Lexington, South Carolina
2012 —Tramel Terry, WR, Goose Creek, Georgia
2013 —Jacob Park, QB, Stratford, Georgia
2014 — Matthew Colburn, RB, Dutch Fork, Wake Forest
2015 — Tavien Feaster, RB, Spartanburg, Clemson
2016 — Gage Moloney, QB, Northwestern, James Madison
2017 — Dakereon Joyner, QB, Fort Dorchester, South Carolina
2018 — Zacch Pickens, DE, T.L. Hanna, South Carolina
2019 — Luke Doty, QB, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
2020 — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Gaffney, Georgia
2021 — Jaylen Sneed, LB, Hilton Head Island, Notre Dame
2022 — Xzavier McLeod, DL, Camden, South Carolina
2023 — Josiah Thompson, OL, Dillon, South Carolina
2024 — Will Wilson, QB, Richland Northeast, NC State
2025 — Tamarion Watkins, DB, Northwestern, Texas A&M
This story was originally published December 13, 2025 at 1:45 PM.
