Florida Gators reel in ’22 Tight End CJ Hawkins from Tampa
![Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen walks the field during warm ups before the SEC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Dec. 19, 2020. [Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun]Flgai 121920 Ufvs Bama Pre18](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fda080805e12d31f76c5cc3dae5451bf27260da7bff52f0965b1e87416708ffd2.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen walks the field during warm ups before the SEC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Dec. 19, 2020. [Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun]Flgai 121920 Ufvs Bama Pre18")
With the recent commitments of Nick Evers and Tony Livingston, the Florida Gators have taken advantage of the recent momentum on the recruiting trail to land another top 2022 prospect in CJ Hawkins.
The newest addition to Florida’s 2022 class is Tampa wide receiver/tight end CJ Hawkins, a 6’7, 220-pound behemoth who plays both football and basketball at Berkeley Prep. Hawkins made his decision on March 14, 2021, stating his intentions to play for Florida over other schools such as Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Miami, Texas, South Carolina, and hometown USF.
Hawkins’ mother attended and graduated from the University of Florida, making the decision easier for the standout athlete.
Although Hawkins has only played one full year of football, teams from around the nation are intrigued about his potential on the gridiron. Hawkins’ recruitment has blown up in the past few months, adding plenty of offers to play football at power five and SEC caliber schools. Hawkins’ massive frame, agility, and athleticism catch your attention, and his play-making ability is high despite his inexperience.
With a few years of development and commitment to football, Hawkins could turn into a polished tight end prospect as he has the physical tools needed to make an impact in the SEC.
Current tight ends Tim Brewster has made Tampa a priority, picking and choosing the best prospects from one of the most talented areas in the entire state of Florida. In the past two recruiting cycles, Florida has landed tight end prospects Jonathan Odom and Gage Wilcox from the Tampa area.
Hawkins is the fifth person to commit to UF’s 2022 class, joining Evers, Livingston, Francois Nolton, and Syveion Ellis.
As of now, Hawkins is unranked on the 247Sports Composite Ranking, as he only has one year of football film under his belt. With one more football season coming, I would expect Hawkins to earn at least a three-star ranking by the end of his senior year.
With Hawkins, his commitment is all about his untapped potential to become another high-level tight end to come through UF on the way to the NFL.