The 31st Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Award, given to the nation’s top African American high school football player by the National Alliance of African American Athletes goes to Nyckoles Harbor of Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C.
Harbor is an outstanding student-athlete, carrying a 4.4 grade-point average. Earlier this year, the EDGE rusher was named the Gatorade D.C. Athlete of the Year in football.
According to a news release, Harbor, who is a 5-star college football prospect, who will attend the University of South Carolina, is also a standout in track with 29 national titles and nine national records. He also has volunteered in a soup kitchen, participated in Carroll’s annual food drive and Generosity Global, which works to improve women’s hygiene in sub-Saharan Africa.
“What an amazing night to honor the Watkins Class of 2023 and recognize their achievements,” said J. Everette Pearsall, executive director of The Alliance. “We thank our supporters and join them in congratulating Nyckoles Harbor as the standard bearer for this year’s class. Nyck is an incredible young man, so talented on the field, on the track, in the classroom and in the community.”
The other members of the Watkins Class of 2023 are: Tavorian Copeland, a linebacker from Appomattox County High School in Virginia, who will play at Virginia Tech; Diesel Gordon, a cornerback from Seguin High in Arlington, Texas, who will play at the University of Washington; IMG Academy’s Jordan Hall, a linebacker from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who will play at Michigan State University; and Jeremiyah Love, a running back from Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, Missouri, who will play at the University of Notre Dame.
This year’s Watkins Class members were selected based on their unweighted grade-point average, personal statement, extracurricular activities, community service and letters of recommendation.
