USC basketball phenom JuJu Watkins is slowing down, but only on the court. The junior star will sit out the 2025-26 season to recover from a right ACL tear suffered during the NCAA tournament. However, Watkins is not letting ACL rehab stand in the way of the spotlight and support.
Despite her recovery, she made a surprise courtside appearance at SoFi Stadium, cheering on the Washington Commanders. More specifically, cheering on the man she has been rumoured to be dating.
Despite ACL injury, JuJu Watkins in LA to support Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
The Commanders’ visit to Los Angeles was one for the ages, not simply because of football. Jayden Daniels had a lot to smile about after leading Washington to a 27-10 win over the Chargers with 231 passing yards, a touchdown, and 39 rushing yards. However, what happened after the game sent social media into a spiral of speculations and confirmations.
After the game, Daniels was on the sidelines hugging his mom and did a secret handshake with Watkins. The Commanders’ official X account wasted no time posting the clip with a cryptic yet telling caption that said, “🫶🫶🫶.” The fandom, without wasting any time, analyzed every second of the clip.
🫶🫶🫶 pic.twitter.com/UrdxIfji8J
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 5, 2025
“We all grown, we all know that was not a ‘friendly’ handshake,” one user wrote, perhaps because the moment looked effortless. Almost as if it were something they had done a hundred times before. Another fan summed it up by writing, “Oh, they got a handshake? They locked in 😂.” And they might be onto something.
This is not the first time Watkins and Daniels have been spotted together. Earlier this year, Daniels attended the NCAA tournament to cheer on the USC Trojans, taking on North Carolina. And of course, there were rumors then, too.
Yet, despite the deafening cheers, they have kept their alleged relationship on the down low. In fact, some fans love the two because of it. As another fan writes, “I fw it more cuz it be best to just keep things on the low so ppl not all in y’all business.”
Private or not, there have been far too many moments, making the speculations inevitable. Earlier this year, during Watkins’ 20th birthday bash in LA, Daniels was seen celebrating by her side.
The spottings, combined with the chemistry and handshake, have fans declaring, “That hand clasp told me everything. Yeah, that’s bae.” Meanwhile, another simply added, “Juju and Jayden. Just make it official already.” If the rumors are true, this could easily become college sports’ favourite power duo.
And the Watkins and Daniels fandom are here for it. “Yeah, that confirms it for me,” another fan commented. “They are definitely dating. So private lol,” added another. The fandom has been rooting hard for the two, from NCAA courts to NFL sidelines. While the speculation spiral continues, the two remain unbothered.
