Michigan State Football's Future At Wide Receiver is in Good Hands
There's a reason why Michigan State wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins was the only one of former head coach Mel Tucker's assistant coaches to be retained by new head coach Jonathan Smith.
Hawkins still had to go through an extensive interview process with Smith to make sure both coaches were on the same page with their vision and expectations for Spartans football, but Hawkins' track record of success in just four seasons as a college coach was too much for Smith to ignore.
After a 14-year career as the head coach at Beecher High School, Hawkins was hired to be part of Tucker's first staff back in 2020. A former All-Big Ten selection himself at Michigan State in the late 80s-early 90s, Hawkins has proven to have an eye for high school talent and the ability to develop that talent into NFL Draft picks.
Hawkins helped turn Jalen "Speedy" Nailor into a sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and helped develop Jayden Reed into a second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers last year. During his rookie season, Reed set the Packers' rookie season reception record with 64 catches for 793 yards and eight touchdowns.
"To watch him [Reed] get started off his rookie year and to do the things [he's done], I feel like a proud dad," Hawkins told reporters on Thursday. "I watched him as much as I possibly could, we text back and forth, hopped on the phone. So, it's always great to watch guys that you feel like you poured your heart and soul into."
Hawkins wasn't surprised by the quick success Reed found in the NFL. The 54-year-old coach told professional scouts what to expect when Reed was going through the pre-draft process last spring.
"I told the guys, I told the scouts when they came in here, I told them when he was going down to the Senior Bowl, I said, 'He's going down there and he's going to destroy some guys," Hawkins said. "If I had my phone, I would show you some of the texts that I got from some of the guys that were watching him. They were like, 'Coach Hawk, you were right. He is down here putting on a show.'"
As the 2024 NFL Draft approaches, Hawkins is looking forward to seeing two more former players play on Sundays: former Michigan State receiver Keon Coleman, who transferred to Florida State, and graduated senior Tre Mosley.
"I'm excited about 'Big 0'. He's going to get drafted shortly here," Hawkins said of Coleman. "Hoping that my man Tre [Mosley] — tremendous ball skills, great player — I feel like he's going to get an opportunity somewhere. So, you know, you feel really good when guys are developed right here. I know what it takes to pour into guys to get to that level, to get them ready to preform at that level. Super proud of them guys."
Although Coleman left Michigan State to finish his career at Florida State, Hawkins said he maintains a strong relationship with the star receiver, who was back on campus for MSU men's basketball's 'Senior Day' last month.
"He was here. We sat for two hours," Hawkins said. "We just talked the other day. You know, he made a business decision, but we have a relationship that's bigger than this business of college football now. It's so different. He took advantage of what he felt like was best for him, but from a coach-player standpoint, we're [tight].
"He calls asking, 'Should I do this? Should I do that?', through this process right now that he's going through with the whole draft approaching. So, we've got a trememndous relationship man, and I'm one of his biggest fans. I'll be sitting in front of the TV like, 'You've got to take my guy.'"
Hawkins is already working on his next set of future professionals, with guys like Montorie Foster Jr., Jaron Glover, Antonio Gates Jr. and others waiting in the wings. Hawkins also just added a young stud in 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman Nick Marsh, who is poised to have a promising career with the Spartans.
There's work to do in East Lansing to get Michigan State back near the top of the Big Ten and the sport, but the Spartans' future at the wide receiver position looks promising with Hawkins leading the way.
The Michigan State Spartan Football "Spring Showcase" will be held at the High Cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, on April 20, 2024, at 2 p.m.
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