2022 3-star tight end CJ Hawkins out of Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Florida committed to Stanford today after previously being a Florida commit. There were rumblings of Hawkins possibly flipping to Stanford over the past few months, but he was keeping things close to the vest until he was ready to go public with his decision.

In his announcement on Twitter, Hawkins started off by quoting Robert Frost: “Two roads diverged into a wood, and I took the one less traveled by.”

Hawkins then went on to say: “First and foremost, I would like to thank God and my family for putting me in this position and guiding me through college recruiting. Secondly, I want to thank coach Dan Mullen and Tim Brewster, along with the fantastic support of the Gator Nation for their utmost hospitality and grace.

“After a long and personal search, I have decided to step away from my pledge to my childhood dream school, the University of Florida. Making a decision has undoubtedly been extremely difficult given the university’s track record on the gridiron and in the classroom. With that said, I’d be ignoring my heart if I did not embark on this life-altering opportunity.

“At this time, and with great excitement, I would like to announce my intention of committing with Coach David Shaw and signing with the Stanford University Football program this December. The numerous opportunities blessed upon me would not be possible without the guidance of Coach Dominick Ciao, the fantastic coaching staff, and my teammates at Berkeley Prep.

“I will always love the Gators, but my heart is in Palo Alto. Please respect my decision.

#GoCardinal🌲"

While this obviously stings for Florida, this is great news for Stanford. Hawkins is a very talented tight end with great physical gifts at 6’7”, 220 pounds. He is a very fluid runner in his route running and has really good hands, making him an exciting prospect in the passing game. In the run game, he does a great job of blocking his man and creating open holes for the running back to go through. When watching Hawkins play, it’s no surprise he is an excellent basketball player as well. He’s truly an all-around gifted athlete.

CJ Hawkins is the 19th commit in the Cardinal’s 2022 recruiting class and the second tight end (4-star tight end Sam Roush). We look forward to catching up with him about his decision and what he thinks he can bring to the Cardinal program next fall.