This weekend the Florida Gators hosted 14 official visitors in town including several in state prospects.
Receiver Jerrae Hawkins (5-9, 165, Bradenton, FL. IMG) was on campus and his parents were able to visit with him this time as they made the trip from West Virginia.
“It was a good time, my parents got to come out here and see what I was telling them about,” Hawkins said of his visit to Florida this weekend. “We went to Dave and Busters, chill with the coaches, went to the pool area and ate. The pictures were nice.”
Hawkins visited Gainesville once before but this time he was able to spend more time with the coaching staff and build a better relationship.
“Mainly all of the coaches on the coaching staff,” he said on the coaches he spent time with. “It was nice, the first time we didn’t really have a bond, but the bond has gotten stronger and stuff like that.”
While on campus, Hawkins was able to watch film with head coach Billy Napier and receivers coach Billy Gonzales and they compared him to some players they’ve coached in the past.
“Just the ways they can use me,” Hawkins said on the message from the coaches. “They showed me guys that they have coached and stuff like that. Napier said that I remind him of Jaylen Waddle and Gonzales said Kadarius Toney. I like it if you can get me in space. I was talking with the players like Ricky [Pearsall] and he was saying that he averaged like 20 yards a catch. That’s definitely important.”
Receiver Ricky Pearsall hosted Hawkins on campus and explained to him what he likes about Florida.
“I was definitely asking him a whole lot,” he said on talking with Pearsall. “We were talking about football and the school. He said he loves it.”
The Gators have been a team in the top group for Hawkins for a while now and he says it’s because of the amount of time and people they have working with his position group.
“Mainly just how hands on they are with the receivers,” Hawkins said on what stands out to him. “They have a lot of guys working with the receivers and a lot of guys who played receiver.”
Hawkins recently narrowed his top schools to three with Florida, Miami, and Penn State making the cut but he says two schools are standing out to him onw.
“Top two,” he said on where Florida stands for him. “I’ll say they are with Penn State, mainly the accolades and playing on the biggest stage.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Hawkins will visit Penn State in two weeks and then announce a decision on June 26th.