Kelly Watson holds the WR-X · Depth spot in North Dakota State Bison’s wide receiver room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Kelly Watson is a 5'11", 195-pound wide receiver from Elmhurst, Illinois, and a 2023 graduate of York High School. At York, Watson was a two-year starter at running back and slot receiver who played in 11 of 13 games his senior year, recording 107 carries for 587 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching 19 passes for 163 yards. He finished his high school career with over 2,200 rushing yards and 38 total touchdowns, earning first-team all-conference honors both junior and senior year. Watson redshirted in 2023, appearing in two games with 13 carries for 39 yards. He saw action in three regular-season games as a freshman in 2024, posting five carries for nine yards, and was named to the MVFC Honor Roll. Watson appeared in one game in 2025 against St. Thomas and is currently a redshirt junior on the North Dakota State roster.