Florida Gators just added a WR with NFL speed to their 2024 recruiting class

Speed and size is the name of the game in college football and especially in the SEC. For the Florida Gators, it's seemingly always been athleticism that has won the day (think: Percy Harvin) and head coach Billy Napier just got a big dose of that on the 2024 recruiting trail.

Jerrae Hawkins, four-star wide receiver from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has committed to the Gators. Hawkins is ranked as the No. 28 wideout in the country as well as one of the better players from the talent-rich state of Florida.

He's also a notable dual-threat athlete who is going to be bringing a ton of speed to the table for Florida. He took first at a AAA state track meet as a sophomore and also won the 60-meter dash at the Florida Indoor Championships. He reportedly ran a 4.25 50-yard dash at an Ohio State football camp, meaning he has NFL speed.

The Gators won Hawkins' commitment over the other finalist, Penn State. Hawkins also took an official visit with the Miami Hurricanes.

"Florida has always been in my top two for a long time," Hawkins told Swamp247. "After the visit to Penn State, my gut was telling me that Florida was the right move.

"Mainly, it was development and track also came up big with Florida. They have strong development with their strength and conditioning team. That played a big factor. Their track program is also really strong, and I want to try to do both in college, and they are one of the best. They definitely played a big factor."

Hawkins may have to put on a bit more muscle as a college player—he's only 5-foot-9, 165 pounds—but the Florida staff apparently sees the younger version of a Jaylen Waddle or Kadarius Toney when they watch Hawkins' tape.

"Those guys can definitely get my game to a level I want to be, with my mechanics and technique and stuff like that." Hawkins said. "They can even get me faster by training with the track coaches. I know I will get faster, and the football staff can get me technique-wise."

If all goes according to plan, keep on eye out for Hawkins burning up the turf down at Florida sometime in the near future.