Signed: Four-Star Florida Safety Cedrick Hawkins Gives Buckeyes A True Ballhawk in the Defensive Backfield

He’ll end the year as an official member of the Buckeye program after signing his National Letter of Intent Wednesday.

The four-star defensive back and No. 283 overall prospect in the country was the first of three safeties to commit to the Buckeyes in the 2023 cycle, and the third pledge of the class in general. The Cocoa High School product out of Titusville, Florida, is the 25th-ranked safety in the class and the No. 51 prospect in his home state.

While Hawkins’ commitment came early relative to the rest of Ohio State’s 2023 pledges, his decision never wavered. In fact, subsequent visits over the past year only seemed to strengthen his relationship with the program.

“I was ready to be a Buckeye more than anything,” Hawkins told Eleven Warriors following an April visit to Ohio State. “My favorite part of the visit was sitting down and talking to all the coaches and players I’ll be around for the next couple of years. I feel like a part of the brotherhood already.”

Hawkins actually committed nearly two weeks before Ohio State hired then-Cincinnati cornerbacks coach Perry Eliano as its new safeties coach, but since then the pair have fostered a strong connection. And Hawkins says their relationship extends beyond the gridiron. 

“Coach Eliano and I have always had a great relationship,” Hawkins said. “But it’s never always about football, he makes sure things are better off the field than on the field.”

One glance at the 6-foot, 175-pound safety’s high school stats makes Ohio State’s interest in Hawkins obvious. Hawkins began playing varsity football in eighth grade, and as a freshman, he picked off five passes (with a whopping 214 return yards) and broke up 13 passes. Two years later, Hawkins tallied four more interceptions, deflected 10 passes and racked up a jaw-dropping 117 total tackles.

Defensively, Hawkins had a quieter senior season, finishing with 55 tackles, four pass breakups and one pick. But he didn’t just play defense. Hawkins hauled in 38 passes for 671 yards and five touchdowns as a wide receiver, and also fielded nine kickoffs and 10 punts for a combined 290 yards on returns.

The Cocoa staff used Hawkins’ athleticism in just about every way they could this year. Heck, he even got 14 carries out of the backfield. And while not likely to play quite as many positions at Ohio State, Eliano and company are bringing in a potentially electric playmaker at safety in the incoming freshman.