The Wisconsin Badgers football staff has been intrigued by a specific wide receiver from Florida after their trip to the state. Jerrae Hawkins, a 2024 four-star recruit, announced his top six schools recently and included the Badgers. After his amazing junior year, Wisconsin has been eager to land the electric receiver.
Can The Wisconsin Badgers Land A Top Florida Recruit?
During late January, the Wisconsin football staff made their way through Florida to offer their top recruits scholarships. Among the players offered was Jerrae Hawkins, a 2024 four-star recruit who ranks 18th overall in Florida. Hawkins is a West Virginia native and chose to transfer to the well-known IMG Academy in Bradenton to end his high school career.
At five foot nine, 165 pounds, Hawkins is not a physically imposing receiver. Instead, Hawkins is a certified burner with a personal best of 10.45 in the 100-meter. The dual-sport track runner and football receiver is a dynamic play maker that can cut his way through defenses. Hawkins may not be the biggest receiver but he is still hard to bring down.
The Wisconsin Badgers football staff became interested in Hawkins after his phenomenal junior season. In 11 games, Hawkins caught 67 passes for 1173 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hawkins was also credited with a pick-six on MaxPreps after receiving playing time at corner back as well. As a sophomore Hawkins missed time due to injuries but still averaged 96.3 receiving yards per game in limited action.
Recruitment still 100% open !! pic.twitter.com/kbgTUA3DLr
— Jerrae “Tank” Hawkins Jr 💫 (@Tankk_1k) March 13, 2023
Hawkins recently announced his top six schools at the moment, and included the Wisconsin Badgers in his list. The other schools included Louisville, West Virginia, Penn State, Florida, and Miami (FL). West Virginia is the longest standing offer for Hawkins, as they offered him at the start of his sophomore year. Penn State also offered the receiver soon after in the summer. The remaining schools are new to the party like the Wisconsin Badgers.
The four-star receiver currently ranks as the 102nd player nationally and the 18th player in Florida. Hawkins is also listed as the 21st overall receiver in the 2024 football recruiting class. Given his speed and killer athleticism, the Wisconsin Badgers football staff will really have to push to land a top receiver like Hawkins. His field vision and ability to cut will really become a game-changer at the next level.
Will Jerrae Hawkins Land in Madison?
There is certainly a possibility that the Badgers are able to land a great receiver like Hawkins. The race for the four-star recruit will ultimately come down to what team can captivate the interest of Hawkins. Like most other top recruits, Hawkins sights are set on the next level and what school can present the best opportunity for him to make it into the NFL.
Syndication The Enquirer
Coach Luke Fickell has an excellent track record of getting players to the NFL. After the most successful Bearcats season, Fickell saw nine players from his program get drafted, including four on day one. Wisconsin has produced a fair amount of NFL talent themselves, with more players set to hit the league in the upcoming 2023 draft. Ultimately, stressing the importance of where Wisconsin can propel Hawkins will be the main selling point to land him.
For more:
Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content and @JarrettGuerrera on Twitter. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! Check out 97.3 The Game on iHeart Radio!
