For every setback, Anthony Watkins is a prime example of how to bounce back stronger.

Having overcome the death of family members, ineligibility, coaching changes, etc., Watkins has shown a determination that has served him well at TU.

The latest major challenge for Watkins to overcome was another coaching change. That came when second-year Tulsa coach Kevin Wilson took over before the 2023 season after Watkins had to sit out 2022 due to being academically ineligible.

Watkins and Wilson didn't see eye-to-eye on whether he should take a family vacation in the summer before fall camp in 2023. Watkins went on the trip instead of staying in Tulsa to keep working.

"I learned from that. I didn't like it, but therefore I just went harder and harder in practice to try to overcome that," said Watkins. "That's what I did, and I just found a way."

Wilson has been very complimentary of Watkins since the end of the season, calling Watkins one of his hardest workers. Obviously, Watkins has won over Wilson with his hard work, along with his performance on the field.

After a somewhat slow start to the season, Watkins (5-11, 212 lbs.) finished with a bang, rushing for 443 yards (5.7 yards per carry) over the last four games (110.8 yards per game). He ended up leading TU with 889 yards rushing for the season (4.5 ypc).

A 3-star recruit by Rivals coming out of South Hills High School in Fort Worth, Tx., Watkins chose Missouri over several offers. After rushing for 19 yards in a redshirt season in 2019 where he played one game, his situation with the Tigers changed drastically.

"They gave my scholarship to a walk-on after I lost my papa," Watkins said of his dad's father passing away. "They fired the old coaching staff (head coach Barry Odom) and brought in a new coaching staff. Coach (Eli Drinkwitz), he's the one who gave my scholarship away.

"And Coach (Curtis) Luper, he was the running back coach, and he came from TCU. He got upset with me because he recruited me, he wanted me at TCU, and I didn't want to be in Texas. Just because I didn't want to be in Texas, so when he got to Mizzou, he treated me with no type of respect.

"When I lost my scholarship, I asked what happened, and they tried to act clueless. They tried to say, you're not good enough to even be here. 'I don't think you fit the program.' That was adversity I had to take and swallow that pill."

Mizzou's loss was Tulsa's gain. Head coach Philip Montgomery and running backs coach Justin Hill (now RB coach with Cincinnati Bengals) immediately were interested in Watkins.