Ben Hanks Jr. down to 3; Florida Gators emerging as favorite?

Andrew Nemec | Aug 8, 2024

Ben Hanks Jr. /

And then there were three.

Booker T. Washington (Florida) four-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. has compiled two dozen offers during his recruitment, but Thursday he trimmed his list down to a final three.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound defensive back, rated the nation's No. 10 cornerback, is formally down to Florida, Louisville and Miami, he told Hayes Fawcett:

NEWS: Four-Star CB Ben Hanks Jr. is officially down to 3️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’1 170 CB from Miami, FL will announce his Commitment on August 16th

Ranked as a Top 75 Recruit in ‘25 (No. 10 CB) per On3

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/80MGOBRfn0 pic.twitter.com/qFtQvgrKa2

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 8, 2024

Hanks is set to announce his commitment August 16.

So, who is the favorite?

According to both On3 and 247Sports, Florida has. emerged as the clear-cut leader.

And that's far from a surprise.

Not only is Hanks an in-state prospect, but he is also the son of Ben Hanks, who played linebacker for the Gators from 1992-1995 before a brief NFL stint.

A legacy commitment, therefore, seems to be in the works.

Still, Hanks did take official visits to all three of the remaining contenders - Louisville (May 31), Florida (June 7) and Miami (June 21).

What would Florida be getting? Here's what 247Sports had to say about Hanks as a prospect:

"A longer, reactionary corner prospect that has gotten varsity snaps since he was a freshman down in the fertile recruiting grounds of Miami-Dade County. Size hasn’t been verified, but multiple in-person evaluations suggest that he’s over 6-foot and on the leaner side. Relatively fluid in the midline, which makes him rather effective in press coverage as he mirrors with hips and tries to steer wide receivers towards the sidelines. Has a knack for jumping routes (had three pick-sixes as a junior) and will keep his eyes in the backfield when working in off coverage. Top-end speed is a bit of a question mark at this stage and can struggle at times to keep track of much quicker assignments. Will likely need to add some body armor before he’s ready to go on Saturdays, but should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter that can matchup with large perimeter targets at the Power Five level given his reach. Likely to find success in a defensive system that favors 1-on-1 situations."