Miami targeting 4-star IMG receiver Jerrae Hawkins, who hopes for summer visit

Miami is continuing to recruit IMG Academy 2024 four-star receiver Jerrae Hawkins, the No. 182 overall prospect in the class with heavy interest from Penn State and Florida, among others.

Hawkins is hoping to visit Coral Gables for the first time this summer after talking to Miami’s staff “pretty much daily,” led by Hurricanes receivers coach Kevin Beard. Beard is continuing to push to bring Hawkins to campus and is showing the country’s No. 32 receiver “a lot of love.”

“It’s mainly their interest in me, honestly,” Hawkins said when asked what he likes about Miami. “Like how much they like me as a player. My explosiveness, my speed, my route running, things like that.”

Hawkins put out a top six this spring of Florida, Louisville, Miami, Penn State, West Virginia and Wisconsin, although Florida, Penn State and West Virginia have pushed the hardest in Hawkins’ recruitment.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound receiver already has an official visit scheduled to Penn State this summer. He said the trio of Power Five schools have each told him he could play early, which he added will play a substantial role in his recruitment. He said he’ll also value player development.

But Hawkins isn’t in a rush to wrap up his recruitment.

“As of right now, in a perfect world I would want to commit at the end of the summer or a couple games into (my senior season),” Hawkins said. “But you never know what might happen.”

CaneSport’s Take

Miami needs all of the receiver help it can get, and Hawkins has become a Ray Ray Joseph-like prospect in his recruitment. But who the Hurricanes will end up taking once the dust has settled is still somewhat unclear.

Most of us thought Miami would have been far more active in the transfer portal after it re-opened in April. And while the potential addition of former Florida receiver Xavier Henderson would be nice to have, it still doesn’t totally solve Miami’s weapons problem.

If Miami ultimately lands a handful of young receivers in the transfer portal with several years of remaining eligibility before the start of fall camp, it could take pressure off the Canes to have a star receiver class. But if Miami only ends up with one transfer receiver or fewer, which it very well may, the pressure stays on the Canes to land South Florida talent, keep the IMG pipeline alive and nab much-needed offensive weapons.

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