Gators Rise Into 'Top Two' for WR Jerrae Hawkins Following Official Visit

The Gators positioned themselves as one of the two leading contenders for Jerrae Hawkins during his official visit, selling an intriguing vision for his role.

The Gators' effort to stack slot receiver talents reached its head in the 2024 class as Jerrae Hawkins Jr., one of their top targets to fill the void, trekked to campus for his official visit from June 9-11.

Accordingly, Florida rolled out the red carpet for the northeast talent and his family throughout the weekend. It was a valuable chance for Hawkins' parents to see what he had only told them previously. They liked what they saw. 

As he nears a June 26 commitment decision, the multi-day stay paid dividends in closing the gap for UF, who now holds a top spot of contention for the speedy wideout.

"Top two," Hawkins stated, candidly, when asked where Florida stands for his pledge currently. "I'd say with Penn State."

Moving into the top tier of Hawkins' recruitment beside the Nittany Lions — long considered the team to beat — the Gators sit in a favorable situation to acquire his talents and add a much-needed pass-catching weapon for quarterback commit DJ Lagway at this stage.

Miami, who he officially visited June 2-4 and recently included alongside UF and PSU in a top three, sits on the outside looking in at the 11th hour of his recruitment.

In just his second trip to Gainesville since his offer on March 1, Hawkins had the opportunity to further his relationship with the Florida staff, something he was only building during his last appearance on campus. 

"It was nice," he said about the return. "The first time was kind of like, we didn't have a bond or nothing like that. But now the bond got stronger and stuff like that."

Several factors contributed to his evident liking for the UF program to this point, ranging from his potential usage and development as a slot wideout to his relationship with nearly all the coaches. However, Florida's illustrious history of production at the position, especially under wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, and the staff's emphasis on the position notably catch Hawkins' eye.

"Mainly how hands-on they are with the receivers. There's a lot of receiver coaches or guys who played receiver on the coaching staff," Hawkins said. "Just the accolades and me playing on the biggest stage, and the best chance of me getting to the league."

Expected to assume a spot in the slot at the next level, standing 5-foot-9, 165 pounds while possessing the elite speed (clocking a 10.3 100-meter dash and a reported 4.25 40-yard dash) to operate successfully with the ball in the open field, Hawkins is a versatile athlete who meets the mold of explosive talent the Gators hope to add in abundance moving forward.

In the eyes of Gonzales, his game can be drawn to former slot wideout at Florida and current Kansas City Chiefs weapon Kadarius Toney. Hawkins' elusiveness and knack for making defenders miss in tight areas support that claim.

Meanwhile, head coach Billy Napier, a former wide receiver coach in his own right, likened Hawkins to former Crimson Tide star Jaylen Waddle. The connection expectedly stems from the similar straight-line speed and smooth nature of his movement, which make the Wheeling, W.V., native a home-run threat from anywhere on the field.

"I like it. Get me in space," Hawkins said of the role. "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."

During his trip to Florida, the IMG Academy standout got a glimpse of his potential future as he was paired with the Gators' current slot pass catcher in Pearsall as his player host. He took the opportunity to pick his brain about Florida, the offense and the intricacies of the wide receiver position. 

"I was definitely asking him a whole lot. We were talking about football, releases, everything. How he likes the school, and he loves it."

Hawkins will take a one-week break from his official visit schedule to participate in track nationals. 

He'll wrap up his summer trips as he attends Happy Valley June 23-25, giving James Franklin and the Nittany Lions the last crack at swooning him toward their program.

The Gators, as a result, will remain steadfast in their recruitment of Hawkins as his deadline date quickly approaches with hopes to edge out Penn State for the talented wideout's services.

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. 

Get your Gators football, basketball and other sporting events tickets from SI Tickets here.