Florida football recruiting: Local 2022 TE CJ Hawkins commits to Gators

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Local tight end CJ Hawkins (Tampa, FL) committed to the Florida Gators on Sunday, becoming the fifth member of the program’s Class of 2022. Hawkins made his announcement on social media.

“I’m proud to say I have committed to continue my education and play football at the University of Florida,” he wrote. “Thank you to head coach Dan Mullen and tight ends coach Tim Brewster for your time and effort in recruiting me and the opportunity to represent such a prestigious program and university.”

Hawkins (6-foot-7, 220 pounds) has spent most of his athletic career as a basketball player, but he started playing football in 2020. With tremendous size and athleticism, he seems to be a strong fit for the position despite being an unrated prospect at this time.

Though it has been expected that Hawkins would commit to Florida, his mother’s alma mater, he also has offers from other major programs like Alabama, Georgia and Texas, among others.

It is believed that the Gators will look to sign more than one tight end in the Class of 2022, but adding Hawkins as a prospect before his profile explodes appears to be a key addition for Mullen and Brewster.

Hawkins is Florida’s third commitment in the last six days, joining four-star offensive tackle Tony Livingston (Tampa, FL) and three-star quarterback Nick Evers (Flower Mound, TX). The Gators’ 2022 class is now ranked 24th nationally and seventh in the SEC.