{"id":4158,"date":"2020-12-15T11:05:31","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T16:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gridironstuds.com\/blog\/?p=4158"},"modified":"2020-12-15T11:05:31","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T16:05:31","slug":"underrated-stud-michael-hawkins-22-te-somerset-hs-ky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/underrated-stud-michael-hawkins-22-te-somerset-hs-ky\/","title":{"rendered":"Underrated Stud: Michael Hawkins ’22 TE – Somerset HS, KY"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Chad Wilson<\/strong>
\nTwitter: @GridironStuds<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

When you talk about looking the part,\u00a0 2022 TE Michael Hawkins is it.\u00a0 At 6’5″ 225 lbs.,\u00a0 he certainly stands out playing on the end of the line of scrimmage for Somerset High School in London, Kentucky.\u00a0 However,\u00a0 I don’t want to just reduce him to being a specimen.<\/p>\n

Hawkins moves like a division I tight end and he’s full service.\u00a0 First off,\u00a0 he gets off on the ball and gets on his blocks when he is asked to do that.\u00a0 He’s most impressive in reach blocks on outside zone plays.\u00a0 That’s not all though,\u00a0 he can down block on the big guys and get movement while also getting on the LBs at the 2nd level.\u00a0 He can also neutralize a defensive end on both run and pass plays.<\/p>\n

In the passing game,\u00a0 Hawkins provides a big target.\u00a0 Asking a high school linebacker or defensive back to cover him is a tall order.\u00a0 When teams opt to play zone,\u00a0 he can just get out in space,\u00a0 sit down and be an easy target for the quarterback.\u00a0 Tackling him after the catch now becomes quite the chore.\u00a0 Hawkins is also a strong red zone threat when the area to work in gets reduced.\u00a0 He is a long athletic 225 lbs. who becomes a tough cover over the middle and on routes to the corner of the end zone.\u00a0 Somerset’s offense also flexes him out from time to time and he shows enough agility to freeze a defender at the line before getting body position on him to make a tough catch.<\/p>\n

Hawkins really reminds me of another GridironStud who made our Recruit Watch List from the class of 2021,\u00a0 Cane Berrong<\/a>.\u00a0 Berrong entered our list with little to no offers and is now set to be a part of Notre Dame’s 2021 class as the #8 ranked tight end in the country.\u00a0 Hawkins possesses a lot of the same traits and has the looks of a Notre Dame,\u00a0 Big 10 type tight end.\u00a0 This is not to say that he’s not a possible target for any Power 5 conference school.\u00a0 It will be interesting to see how his body and skill level develops over this next offseason.\u00a0 He will certainly draw much attention during this next recruiting cycle.<\/p>\n