The Buckeyes secured an unexpected pledge in the middle of Saturday's game against Utah.
Ohio State landed a commitment in the middle of Saturday’s Rose Bowl when Titusville (Fla.) Cocoa four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins announced his pledge to the Buckeyes.
“First, I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity to do this,” Hawkins said in a note posted to Twitter. “I’ve always wished for the day to come, seeing all my older brothers write one. Now, it’s my chance.”
The 5-foot-11 and 165-pound Hawkins is considered the 20th-best safety and No. 226 prospect overall in the class of 2023. He picked Ohio State over nearly 20 other offers from programs such as Arizona State, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and UCF, among others.
Hawkins landed an offer from the Buckeyes after attending a one-day camp last June. He’s grown close in the months since with running backs coach and area recruiter Tony Alford, which led to his commitment, bringing to mind the recruitment of 2022 safety signee Kye Stokes.
Hawkins becomes the third member of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class, joining Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne four-star offensive guard Joshua Padilla and Thompson’s Station (Tenn.) Independence four-star tight end Ty Lockwood.
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