Florida football added a blue chip pass-catcher to its haul on Wednesday morning as college football’s early signing period kicked off for the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins[/autotag] out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy officially put his in on the paper for the Orange and Blue.
The 5-foot-9-inch, 165-pound player originally from Wheeling, West Virginia, committed to Billy Napier’s program at the end of June and stayed the course until signing. He chose the Gators over the Miami Hurricanes and Penn State Nittany Lions at the time.
The diminutive athlete also excelled on the track in high school and looks to pursue a two-sport career in Gainesville. The fact Florida’s track and field program is among the finest in the nation was part of the draw to the Orange and Blue.
What the Gators have to offer on the gridiron stood out to Hawkins as well. Wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales has a pedigree for developing wide receiver talent as well as Billy Napier himself.
“They have a lot of guys with wide receiver background. Coach (David) Doeker has been on me a long time since he offered. Coach (Billy) Napier and coach (Billy) Gonzales. Those guys can definitely get my game to a level I want to be,” he told Swamp247.
“With my mechanics and technique and stuff like that. They can even get me faster by training with the track coaches. I know I will get faster, and the football staff can get me technique-wise. Just getting those two things down.”
Hawkins is ranked No. 267 overall and No. 44 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 247 and 45, respectively.
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