2023 DB Cedrick Hawkins has many options

Before he started high school, Cedrick Hawkins had double-digit offers. The 2023 athlete out of Cocoa can do a lot between the lines, but almost 20 schools are recruiting him to play safety.

FAU was the first school to offer. Florida, Kentucky, UCF and West Virginia are some of the other schools that offered before he arrived at high school.

Since he started at Cocoa, he has added offers from schools like Arizona State, Florida State, Indiana, Miami and Mississippi State.

He is regarded as one of the top sophomores in the Sunshine State, and he is just getting started with the recruiting process.

"I am just staying humble with everything right now," said Hawkins. "Having offers this early doesn't really mean anything to me. I started playing football since I five years old, I have worked hard, and I kind of expected this to happen.

"I am going to keep working, and I am starting to build relationships with coaches, so this is just the beginning for me. I am excited about where this will go."

Communication is limited for players in Hawkins' class, so he reaches out to schools when he can or goes through his coach to speak with different coaches.

A couple of schools have done a good job connecting with him early.

"Arizona State and Florida State are the schools I am in contact with the most. I am talking to coach Hawkins from Arizona State and he is a cool coach that I like. It is far from home, and it is a school I really want to visit.

"Florida State is a good school, and I have been having a Facetime call with them every Monday for a while now. I am talking to coach Marve and coach Levy (recruiting assistant) a lot, and they are getting to know me. We have a good thing going."

Hawkins has not had the chance to visit Tallahassee yet, so Florida State is a school on his list he hopes to visit.

He has tripped to Gainesville and Coral Gables though, so the Gators and the Hurricanes are two other in-state schools on his radar.

"I have visited Florida for a Junior Day, so I have had a chance to see things there. I like the campus, it felt like a family atmosphere, and I have developed a good relationship with coach Rat (Keiwan Ratliff).

"I was close to Miami for a 7-on-7, and we went over to walk around, see some of the buildings, and it was a nice visit. I saw the trophies, the chains, and it was a nice campus."

The in-state schools are on his radar, but the schools outside state are too. He did not have a favorite school growing up, and he wants to get out and visit schools like Arizona State, Tennessee and West Virginia to see what is out there.

It is early, and he planning to take the process at a slow pace.

"My approach is to take things really slow, to take visits, and just look at everything," said Hawkins. "It is important for me to find that school I feel at home at. That is what I am looking for."

NFL production will also factor into Hawkins' decision. His favorite player is Tom Brady, because of his leadership and that he is a winner.