Speedy WR Jerrae 'Tank' Hawkins Jr. Commits to Florida

Florida secured its second wide receiver commitment in the class of 2024 on Monday, from speedster Jerrae 'Tank' Hawkins Jr.

Billy Napier has placed an emphasis on remodeling Florida's wide receiver room with a focus on speed since his Dec. 2021 hiring as the Gators' head coach. 

The future of the unit undeniably got faster on Monday afternoon when IMG Academy wide receiver and Wheeling, W.V., product Jerrae 'Tank' Hawkins Jr. committed to Florida over Penn State and Miami, the collateral members of his top three, and 15 other FBS scholarship offers. 

BREAKING: Four-Star WR Jerrae “Tank” Hawkins tells me he has Committed to Florida!

The 5’9 168 WR from Fredericksburg, VA chose the Gators over Miami and Penn State

“I want to be in the SEC with best.”https://t.co/6Fgv5bSsBn pic.twitter.com/M3C057dApO

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 26, 2023

Following his pivotal June 9-11 official visit in Gainesville, Hawkins expressed appreciation for Florida's plan to utilize his deep-threatening skill set and the coaching staff's vast experience overseeing his position specifically — including Napier himself, wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales and graduate assistant David Doeker. 

"I like it. Get me in space," Hawkins told All Gators of his projected role at UF. "I was talking about it with the players, like Ricky [Pearsall]. He was averaging like 20 yards a catch. That's definitely getting the ball down the field."

Hawkins' pace as an athlete cannot be overstated in his scouting notes. Ohio State coaches clocked the recruit at 4.25 and 4.31 seconds in the 40-yard dash during a 2022 recruiting camp, and on the track, he has produced personal records of 6.69 seconds in the 60-meter dash, 10.37 seconds in the 100-meter and 21.48 seconds in the 200-meter. 

His athletic testing results follow a trend set by most of the receivers Florida has secured the services of since Napier's arrival. 

The Gators signed two high-caliber athletes at the position in the class of 2023 — Eugene Wilson III and Aidan Mizell — both possessing athletic bloodlines as Wilson's father, Eugene Wilson II, played in the NFL, and Mizell's mother, Ebony Robinson-Mizell, was an All-American sprinter at UF.

The younger Wilson notched a sub-4.5 second 40-yard in the camp setting, and the junior Mizell blazed a 10.65-second 100-meter for his high school. 

Additionally, Hawkins' 2024 classmate, Izaiah Williams of Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day, has been timed at 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard and 10.94 seconds in the 100-meter.

Hawkins' fleetness certainly translates to the field. It has drawn comparison to former Gators receiver and first-round NFL Draft pick Kadarius Toney in the opinion of Gonzales, Hawkins previously suggested. 

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound speedster hauled in 97 receptions for 1,751 yards and 20 touchdowns in two varsity seasons at Wheeling Park High School, averaging 18.1 yards per catch before transferring south to IMG Academy.

He is regarded as the No. 35 wide receiver and No. 229 overall prospect in the class of 2024 by the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Hawkins represents Florida's second wide receiver commitment and third pass-catching pledge of the 2024 cycle, joining Williams and Portal (Ga.) High tight end Amir Jackson in the Gators' eventual offense headlined by elite Willis (Texas) High quarterback, DJ Lagway. 

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

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