Tag: Jerrae Hawkins

Florida football signs 4-star IMG Academy wide receiver

This speedster out of the prestigious IMG Academy could be a game-changer for the Gators in the near future.

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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247Sports ‘freaks list’ includes pair of 2024 Florida football commits

These two Florida football commits have the physical tools to be standouts at the collegiate level.

The start of the 2023 college football season lurks just around the bend but the recruiting grind continues 24/7/365 for Billy Napier and Co. The second-year head coach made a point of prioritizing prep prospects as a part of his plan to restore glory to the Orange and Blue, and so far, his staff has done a good job living up to those expectations.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports released his 2024 freaks list on Thursday, in which he ranked the 50 most athletically gifted members of the 2024 recruiting cycle. Included on the list was a pair of Florida Gators, starting with five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], who landed at No. 17 in the rankings.

Lagway is a legitimate 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, and he’s a load to bring down in the pocket or open field. This summer, Lagway hit 20 mph while doing treadmill sprints on a 28-degree incline. There’s also a video of him from middle school where he’s destroying a chair with his mid-80s fastball. That’s freaky stuff.

Lagway represents one of the biggest lottery tickets in the entire 2024 cycle given his physical attributes. He threw for 2,081 yards and 24 touchdowns last fall at Willis (Texas) while adding 517 yards and seven more scores on the ground.

The other Florida commit earning a spot on the top-50 list was four-star wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins[/autotag] who placed close behind at No. 19.

Hawkins, who was a regular on the podium as an underclassmen in the Mountain State, took first in the 60-meter dash at the Florida Indoor Championship in February before placing 3rd at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet in the same event a few months later. The chunk-play machine also had the fastest 40-yard-dash time (4.45 seconds) at IMG Academy’s annual pro day.

The passer-receiver connection bodes well for the future of Florida football as the program looks to bring the glory back to the Swamp. Unfortunately, Gators fans will have to wait until next season before they get to see these two potential stars out on the collegiate gridiron.

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Florida WR commit still being recruited by Alabama, Miami

The Florida Gators have already secured a commitment from IMG Academy wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins, but Alabama and Miami are still in play.

IMG Academy wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins[/autotag] committed to the Florida Gators back in June and he remains firm in that commitment over five weeks later.

That’s not to say that other schools are done recruiting him, though. Hawkins told Gators Online that the Alabama Crimson Tide and Miami Hurricanes are still pushing for a flip from him. Hawkins can’t sign until December, so Florida has to stave off these programs for at least four months.

“Miami is the main one right now,” Hawkins said. “I’ve been talking to Alabama a little bit, but mainly those two,” said Hawkins when asked if schools are still recruiting him.”

Hawkins already took an official visit to Miami, so there’s not much the Hurricanes can do to convince him. He’s seen what they have to offer and already decided on UF.

Right now, he’s content with Florida but will still listen to the other schools pushing for him. It’s on the Gators to make sure those talks don’t get too serious.

Hawkins is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by 247Sports at No. 175 overall in the class of 2024. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major services, places him at No. 229 nationally and No. 40 among wide receivers in the class.

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Florida’s Grill in the Ville event to include this blue-chip WR commit

This in-state wide receiver commit will be on campus this Saturday for the big event.

Florida football is getting set to host the first edition of the Grill in the Ville event, which welcomes prep prospects from a range of recruiting classes into the Swamp to get a gander at what Billy Napier and the Gators have to offer.

Listed among the myriad of recruits who are planning on attending the midsummer event is four-star wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins[/autotag], who is originally from Wheeling, West Virginia, but currently attends IMG Academy in Sarasota, Florida. The 5-foot-9-inch, 155-pound pass-catcher committed to the Gators at the end of June, picking UF over the Miami Hurricanes and Penn State Nittany Lions and making him the 17th commit in the 2024 class.

The high school senior possesses serious speed, running a 6.70-second 60-meter dash time at the Florida Indoor Championships and has reportedly clocked a 10.45 in the 100-meter. Hawkins has his eye on the school’s track and field team as well as the gridiron gang.

“Mainly, it was development, and track also came up big with Florida,” he told 247Sports’ Blake Alderman. “They have strong development with their strength and conditioning team. That played a big factor. Their track program is also really strong, and I want to try to do both in college, and they are one of the best. They definitely played a big factor.”

Hawkins is ranked No. 236 overall and No. 34 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 229 and 40, respectively.

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Florida inching closer No. 2 spot in On3 recruiting team rankings

Florida’s latest addition to the 2024 recruiting class has the Gators even closer to taking over a top-two spot in On3’s team rankings.

Florida’s recent frenzy of additions to the 2024 recruiting class has the Gators ranked No. 3 in the On3 recruiting rankings.

The latest commitment, four-star IMG Academy wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins, put Florida’s total score up to 92.940, which is just 0.188 points away from overtaking Ohio State as the No. 2 class in the country. The way the algorithm works right now, Florida needs to add one of the top-158 players on the On3 industry ranking to move into second place.

Adding a player like Mainland (Daytona Beach, Florida) safety Zay Mincey would do the trick, but the Buckeyes are working on adding some more talent to its class as well. Eventually, the algorithm will evolve to include more than the top-12 players in each class, which could change things slightly.

Ahead of both Florida and Ohio State is none other than the two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs. The ‘Dawgs have a score of 94.547, which will be tough to catch. The biggest difference is that Florida hasn’t landed a five-star commitment yet.

Billy Napier and his recruiting staff finished the 2023 recruiting cycle ranked No. 13 overall by On3. The loss of Jaden Rashada pushed the Gators out of the top 10, but Napier has a chance to finish in the top five this time around.

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Florida earns commitment from 4-star WR out of IMG Academy

The Gators get another one! Four-star IMG Academy wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins is headed to the Swamp.

Florida’s 2024 recruiting class gained another commitment on Monday.

Four-star IMG Academy wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins Jr. picked the Gators over the Miami Hurricanes and Penn State Nittany Lions to become the 17th commit in the 2024 class. Hawkins told 247Sports Florida had been one of his top two schools for a while, but he knew the school was the right choice once he visited Penn State.

Hawkins has serious speed. He ran a 6.70-second 60-meter dash time at the Florida Indoor Championships and has reportedly clocked a 10.45 in the 100-meter. He’ll try to run track in college for the Gators as a two-sport athlete.

“Mainly, it was development, and track also came up big with Florida,” Hawkins said to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman. “They have strong development with their strength and conditioning team. That played a big factor. Their track program is also really strong, and I want to try to do both in college, and they are one of the best. They definitely played a big factor.”

Hawkins took his official visit to the Swamp on June 9 and was at PSU two weeks later. The contrast between the two visits helped speed up his timeline; he decided there was no reason to wait longer.

The On3 consensus, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services, ranks Hawkins as the No. 233 overall player in the 2024 class. He is No. 38 among receivers and No. 35 among those in the state of Florida.

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Blue-chip wide receiver impressed with official visit, has Florida among top schools

It looks like the Gators and Nittany Lions are duking it out for this coveted prospect.

Billy Napier’s Florida football program emerged as one of the top two schools in the running for four-star wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins [/autotag]out of Sarasota (Florida) IMG Academy after his official visit to Gainesville this weekend.

The 5-foot-9-inch, 165-pound pass-catcher told Swamp247’s Blake Alderman that the Gators are now “top two” in his recruitment following his official visit last weekend. Despite the revelation coming after OVs with both the Miami Hurricanes and Gators, it appears that it is actually the Penn State Nittany Lions who represent the other member of the pair.

“I’d say Penn State,” Hawkins responded when asked which team leads his recruitment. “It’s mainly just the accolades and, like, me playing on the biggest stage, honestly. Like, get me to the league, really.”

Nonetheless, his recent stop in Hogtown went well, as the university and city made the rising high school senior feel welcomed.

“It was a good time. My parents got to come out and see what I was telling them about, things like that,” Hawkins said. “We went to Dave & Busters, chilled with the coaches. Went to the pool area, ate, stuff like that. The pictures was nice.”

Hawkins is ranked No. 228 overall and No. 33 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 230 and 38, respectively. Penn State leads the pack in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 41.1% chance of signing him, while Florida (20.8%), Miami (17.8%) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (4.0%) follow behind.

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Gators remain among top schools for this 4-star wide receiver

Whether it’s the top three or top two schools, this blue-chipper is high on what Billy Napier has going in the Swamp.

The 2024 recruiting cycle is currently in full swing and the Florida Gators are in the thick of things ahead of the summer official visit season. While there is plenty to look forward to, there is still a lot happening behind the scenes as prep prospects figure out which programs match their personal priorities.

Among those who have recently trimmed their lists of preferred collegiate destinations is four-star wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins[/autotag] out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy, who has narrowed his list to three schools according to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman and only two schools per Gators Online’s Corey Bender. Nonetheless, the 5-foot-9-inch, 165-pound blazing pass-catcher is down to the final countdown ahead of summer.

It appears that Alderman is making his call based on the official visits the rising high school senior has scheduled so far, which starts with the Miami Hurricanes on the first weekend of June, with Florida’s OV coming the following weekend, and the Penn State Nittany Lions set for June 23.

“As of right now, I would say (my top schools are) Penn State, Florida and Miami. Not in no order. I’d like to be able to separate them after the officials.”

According to Bender, the blue-chip prospect has the Orange and Blue higher than at least third. “I’ll say top two right now,” the coveted wide receiver offered in regards to where Florida stands — behind the Nittany Lions.

Hawkins is ranked No. 201 overall and No. 32 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 183 and 32, respectively. Penn State leads the pack in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 41.1% chance of signing him, while the West Virginia Mountaineers (20.8%), Florida (17.8%) and Pitt Panthers (4.0%) follow behind.

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Gators coaches visit handful of prospects at IMG Academy on Tuesday

Here are some of the top 2024 recruits who the Gators will get a gander at on Tuesday night along with Florida’s chances of landing them.

IMG Academy has become a high school sports Mecca over the past decade built on the advantage of being an athletic institute that focuses more on sports than academics. With that leg up, the school has drawn top athletes from every corner of the nation looking to improve their collegiate and professional potential.

On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Rob Sale and defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong hit the road to pay a visit to the Bradenton, Florida, complex just two hours and change down I-75. Their objective on this road trip was to get a good eye on a plethora of prep prospects who fill the academy’s football roster.

Take a look below at some of the top recruits who the Gators will get a gander at on Tuesday night along with the Orange and Blue’s chances of landing each member of the 2024 recruiting class.

Florida visit date set for this 4-star IMG Academy wide receiver

This coveted pass-catcher will be on campus in the next few days.

One of the primary focuses of Florida football’s recruiting efforts since head coach Billy Napier took over the program has been taking advantage of the vast amount of talent that resides within the boundaries of the state — plus a little bit of stretching room into Georgia and Alabama as well. With that in mind, the Gators are set to host one particular blue-chip talent from nearby the in next few days, according to Gators Online’s Corey Bender.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins[/autotag], who originally hails from Wheeling, West Virginia, transferred in December to play football and run track for IMG Academy in Sarasota, Florida, and is among many targets for Napier and Co. at the prolific sports-based high school. The 5-foot-9-inch, 160-pound pass-catcher appears to be pretty amped for his first visit to the Swamp — as is Napier.

“I just want to see how they operate, how they use their slot guys and guys that play like how I play,” Hawkins recently said of the Gators. “(Coach Napier) wants to see me come out there on a visit. He is looking forward to seeing me.”

The high school junior included the Gators in his top-six preferred schools on March 13, which also includes the West Virginia Mountaineers, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes, Wisconsin Badgers and Penn State Nittany Lions.

Hawkins is ranked No. 179 overall and No. 27 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 158 and 28, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Penn State in the lead for his commitment with a 44.2% chance of landing him, while West Virginia, the Pittsburgh Panthers and Virginia Tech Hokies follow behind at 13.7%, 11.8% and 9.8%, respectively.

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