Jamir Watkins transfer portal: How would Florida State standout look in Arkansas colors? Exploring potential fit in John Calipari's squad

Florida State guard Jamir Watkins placed himself in the transfer portal last month while trying out for the 2025 NBA draft.

The 6-7 senior still has one year of collegiate eligibility left, which he can use this season if he withdraws from the draft before the early entrant deadline of May 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Louisville, Kentucky and Illinois have shown initial interest in acquiring Watkins, who led the Seminoles' offense last season, averaging 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

With just one day remaining before the early entrant deadline, Watkins has yet to decide whether he'll stay in the draft or go back to college.

On Monday, college basketball fans added further intrigue when Arkansas coach John Calipari announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Karter Knox is returning for another season with the Hogs.

One fan asked Calipari about Watkins' commitment decision date. Another user made a bold prediction that Arkansas will contend for the national title if the ACC Second-Team awardee commits to the Razorbacks.

With this in mind, let's analyze the potential scenarios if Jamir Watkins uses his final year of eligibility to play for Arkansas.

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How does Jamir Watkins fit in at Arkansas?

Jamir Watkins will potentially become the top offensive option for Arkansas

Arkansas' top two scorers last season — Adou Thiero and Boogie Fland — were forced to miss games due to various injuries, forcing John Calipari to dig in deep into his bench.

Fortunately for the Razorbacks, other players stepped up in the season's critical stages, including Karter Knox, D.J. Wagner and Johnell Davis. They made the NCAA Tournament and stunned Kansas and St. John's in the first two rounds before going down to Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen.

If Jamir Watkins ultimately decides to commit to Arkansas, the Hogs will have a proven scorer who can serve as a go-to-guy down the stretch and cause potential headaches in the SEC.

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Jamir Watkins will have a familiar runningmate in center Malique Ewin

One of the possible ways to lure a potential superstar is to get someone who has been his former teammate.

During the offseason, Arkansas secured the commitment of Malique Ewin. The 6-11 center happens to be Jamir Watkins' frontcourt partner in Florida State last season.

Ewin played well for the Seminoles and with Watkins, averaging 14.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 1.7 apg in 30 games. The center has first-hand knowledge of playing with the superstar guard and knows what his tendencies are on the court.

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Jamir Watkins will have Hall of Fame-caliber coaching before he ends his collegiate career

John Calipari is arguably one of the best coaches when it comes to handline one-and-done players. A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame awardee in 2015, Coach Cal helped developed potential NBA stars (Anthony Davis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, John Wall, Karl-Anthony Towns and DeMarcus Cousins) despite having spent just one season under the program.

If Jamir Watkins comes back in college and chooses Arkansas, he'll be guided by Calipari and potentially develop his scoring and all-around skills several notches further before he plays in the NBA.