Florida Gators WR commit Jerrae Hawkins ‘runs hard’ and ‘plays football fast’
Few on the IMG Academy sideline likely were surprised Friday night when Florida Gators receiver commit Jerrae Hawkins scored on a TD pass that covered about 60 yards. On the play, he caught the ball at the opponent’s 35, then outran everyone to the end zone.
The speed Hawkins displayed is what folks at IMG have come to expect from the 4-star recruit. He is, after all, one of the fastest prospects in the country.
Gators Online spoke to IMG coach Billy Miller recently, and he raved about Hawkins’ ability.
“Real fast, athletic, quick twitch, does a really good job of catching the ball naturally with his hands,” Miller said.
Hawkins is a track guy with 100-meter times recorded in the 10.4-second range. In fact, he plans to run sprints for the Gators.
Many track standouts struggle on the football field. But Miller doesn’t think that will be the case with Hawkins, who committed to the Gators over the summer.
“I think sometimes with a track guy you lose that perspective. I don’t think all the time it transfers over, but he plays fast,” Miller told Gators Online. “We know he’s track fast, but he plays football fast. And he’s got the football skillset. Jerrae runs hard, just like all our guys do.”
Hawkins, who is listed at 5-foot-8.5, 160 pounds, is the No. 40 receiver nationally for the On3 Industry Rankings. Friday night, he caught the eye of On3 Dir. of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, who Tweeted that Hawkins flashed “the elite speed on a long catch-and-run TD.”
Jerrae Hawkins is a versatile player
But Hawkins isn’t just a speed guy, per Miller.
When asked what stood out with Hawkins, he said, “Probably the versatility. He can line up anywhere. He’s a really smart guy. We can put him on kick return, we can put him on punt return, we can put him on punt block, we can put him in the backfield, we can put him at slot, we can put him wherever we want.”
With college not far off for Hawkins, Miller said the IMG staff continues to push him to improve. And, Miller noted, he is getting better and better.
“We’re really just fine tuning those skills because he didn’t play for us last year,” Miller said.
As for Hawkins, he recently told Gators Online he can’t wait to play for the Gators. And he’s excited about teaming up with 5-star Florida quarterback commit DJ Lagway once Hawkins gets to college.
“Yeah, I was talking about that the other day,” Hawkins told Gators Online. “He’s got a really strong arm. He’s a big guy. He looks like he’s got a good IQ and stuff like that and I just can’t wait to get with him.”
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