Terrace provides a perfect setting for Nakia Watson's commitment
Located on the shore of Lake Mendota, the Memorial Union Terrace is a hot-spot for Madison residents in the summer.
It's also a perfect place for the Wisconsin coaching staff to take recruits when the weather is ideal. And Friday, during his first trip to UW, running back Nakia Watson committed to the Badgers during lunch at the Terrace with the coaches and fellow pledges in the 2018 recruiting class.
"The coaches were really excited and pumped," Watson told BadgerBlitz.com. "It happened at lunch and we did it down by the lake, so a lot of people were pumped to see a running back commit to Running Back University.
"Wisconsin only wants one running back in this class and it feels really good to be that one guy."
Watson, a 6-foot, 220-pound prospect from Austin, Texas, picked up a scholarship in May from assistant coach Ted Gilmore. He chose Wisconsin over offers from Bowling Green, Harvard, Central Arkansas, Harvard, North Texas and Nevada.
"Just the coaches and the people made Wisconsin the choice for me, everything was great today," Watson, who rushed for over 1,600 yards and 22 touchdowns last fall, said. "I also fit in really well into Wisconsin's pro-style offense - it's a downhill, NFL-type of offense. So all of that just made Wisconsin the best place for me."
While on campus, Watson, commit No. 11 for UW in the current cycle, was able to click with future position coach John Settle.
"Coach Settle just keep telling me that I was the guy he wanted in this class and that he can't wait to coach me up," Watson said. "He's a great guy and we got along really well.
"I really liked how everyone at Wisconsin worked together. It really reminded me of how things are at Westlake (High School) where it's a family and everyone is on the same page. It's like that at Wisconsin, so that felt like home to me. It's all about the team."
Watson also spent the day with a handful of current commits and top targets, such as Jaylan Franklin, Travian Blaylock and Jack Plumb.
"It was a big deal," Watson said. "They brought in some guys who were already committed and I got a chance to see what my future teammates would be like. That was another reason why I felt comfortable with the decision.
"I'm done with visits and done with recruiting. It's all Wisconsin."
Watson is the first prospect from outside the Midwest to commit in the senior cycle and the first from Texas after the Badgers signed wide receivers Cade Green and Emmet Perry last February.
