Chris Hawkins had already gathered several big-time offers, but the 6-foot, 165-pound cornerback from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., was waiting to hear from Notre Dame before starting to evaluate his options.
“We’re waiting on that offer because that’s one of the biggest institutions in the U.S.,” Hawkins told Irish Sports Daily late Tuesday evening.
“They have a great football team and a great family out there and they’re all about tradition and education. We need that offer bad, so we can start the process.”
After speaking with Notre Dame assistant Mike Denbrock on Wednesday, Hawkins can start the process.
“We talked to Coach Denbrock,” Hawkins’ father, Armond informed Irish Sports Daily on Wednesday afternoon. “He said they’re offering Chris as soon as his grades clear compliance. We know that’ll happen because his grades are super high.”
Hawkins expects to get the official word from Denbrock on Friday, but he was excited just to be considered by the Irish even before Wednesday's news.
“It means a lot to me know that I’m even getting a look from a school like Notre Dame,” said Hawkins. “It shows me that all of my hard work is paying off just to even get a look from a school like that.”
The Rancho Cucamonga High School star already has offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Michigan, Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Cal, Stanford, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Washington among others. The Irish are clearly one of his early favorites.
“Notre Dame, Stanford, Cal and it’s a tie between Nebraska and Oklahoma and Michigan is in there too,” Hawkins said of his current leaders.
He’s looking forward to getting out to South Bend soon.
“I would love to check it out,” he said. “Me and my dad are talking about getting out there. We’ll definitely check that place out.”
Hawkins already has a solid idea of what he’s looking for in a college.
“Education is the number one thing, but I also want a family,” he said. “I want my football team to be my family and my friends at the same time. I want to go to a school that has tradition. I want to be a part of a school that has a great tradition.”
Hawkins has looked at the Notre Dame roster and sees that the Irish staff likes tall corners. Still, he’s continuing to work on improving some of the skills he says are clear when college coaches pop on his film.
“They’re going to see how smart I am on the field, how fast I am - because I have great speed – and how fast I get out of my pedal,” said Hawkins, who has been clocked as low as 4.47 in the 40-yard dash.
Hawkins feels blessed to have the opportunities he already has, but isn’t ready to stop working. He was recently disappointed with his ranking on recruiting service despite the fact that he was marked as a four-star prospect.
“I want to go against the best and to be able to go against the best, you’ve got to be the best,” he said. “I want to be the best corner in the nation and hopefully my rankings go up. I want to be the best, I’ve been working hard for it and I hope it all pays off.”
But Hawkins isn’t just playing for himself. He says he’s been working hard for his grandfather, Michael Hawkins.
“He passed away when I was a sophomore,” said Hawkins. “Ever since then, I’ve been playing all of my football games for him. My senior year will be dedicated to him and hopefully he’s watching me from up above right now.”
Hawkins wants to have his decision out of the way before he starts his senior season.
“I want to focus on my senior year of football,” he said. “I don’t want any of that on my mind and I want to win a state championship, let alone a CIF championship.”
He already has an August date picked out.
“On the third day of school, I’ll have a little assembly in the gym,” he said. “I’m going to pick my school and from the hats on the table. If I get a Notre Dame offer, that hat will definitely be on the table.”
That hat will be on the table.
Click here to see Hawkins' junior highlights.
