WR Jerrae Hawkins Jr. Names Gators to Top 6

IMG Academy wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins Jr. includes Gators in top six schools.

Photo: Billy Napier; Credit: Alex Shepherd

IMG Academy wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins Jr. took a crucial step in his recruitment process on Monday afternoon as he released his top six schools list.

Hawkins, who holds offers from 12 Power Five schools, included Florida alongside Louisville, Miami, Penn State, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The Gators are freshly removed from offering the speedy pass catcher on March 1.

Recruitment still 100% open !! pic.twitter.com/kbgTUA3DLr

— Jerrae “Tank” Hawkins Jr 💫 (@Tankk_1k) March 13, 2023

Originally from West Virginia, Hawkins performed at a high level at Wheeling Park High School before transferring to IMG for his senior season. As a junior, he reeled in 67 receptions for 1,173 yards and 14 touchdowns in the AAA Classification.

That led to a surge in his recruitment, earning six of his 15 total offers since the beginning of 2023.

Hawkins, at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, showcases the verified speed — reportedly clocking a 4.25 40-yard dash, as listed in his Twitter bio — acceleration and elusiveness in the open field that Florida's lacked since Kadarius Toney's exit after the 2020 season.

The new regime's first full cycle focused on re-instilling that trait into the unit, as they landed Eugene Wilson III to attack the flats and Aidan Mizell to stretch the field. Hawkins rests as a 2024 target that can complement those efforts moving forward, although he's expected to serve in a gadget role early in his career — no matter the destination — while he fills out his slender frame.

Doing so will allow him to take on full slot WR responsibilities with the ability to absorb hits over the middle of the field.

His talents also present the capability to double as a return man on special teams, an area the Gators have struggled recently.

To land Hawkins, UF will look for the still-to-be-named wide receivers coach to build a strong rapport with him and an assortment of other pass catchers to bolster quarterback commit DJ Lagway's arsenal of weapons for the future.

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