Marqui Hawkins is commitment No. 16 for Florida

Still nine months away from National Signing Day, the Florida Gators received the 16th commitment for their 2013 recruiting class on Monday after three-star wide receiver Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA) pledged to join the team next February.

Hawkins (6’2″ 190 lbs.), who plays wide receiver for Caver High School but could be moved to defensive back in college, was initially offered a scholarship by Florida head coach Will Muschamp in mid-February but was not yet ready to make his decision.

“Coach Muschamp said he woke up early [Saturday] morning to look at my film. He liked the way I could judge the ball, said I had decent speed, and that I can move body well to adjust to the ball. He likes that I can play both sides of the ball, so he offered me a scholarship,” Hawkins told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time.

Ranked as the No. 42 player at his position by Rivals and listed as a four-star recruit and the No. 31 player at his position by ESPNU, Hawkins also has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Georgia among other schools.

He still plans to take his official visits but is firmly committed to UF “largely because the Gators recruited him to play on offense,” according to Rivals‘ Keith Niebuhr (who spoke to the player Monday night). “I knew the depth chart was low at receiver and I could come in and play early,” Hawkins said.

He is the third wide receiver to commit to Florida for 2013 joining four-star recruits Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL) and Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg, FL).

Hawkins’s commitment was first reported by Gator Country.