Brandon Hawkins was content with letting the recruiting process play out during the spring and summer, trying to get a feel for every school and take his visits while not wanting to make a hasty decision. A week ago, he was touring the Midwest, visiting Northwestern Indiana, and Purdue. However, all of that changed when he was in Boise over the weekend.
Brandon, a 3 star linebacker out of Georgetown, Texas said that Boise State “left a real impression on him” after he returned home.
“I came up to visit Saturday morning and then did some of the camp after that. Seeing the blue turf in person, talking with the coaches, hearing about the mentality of the team and the expectation around here from the coaches is to be great. They are a winning program. All of that really stood out to me. ” Hawkins explained when asked about highlights from the weekend.
He spent some quality time with members of the coaching staff over the weekend as well, which was when he got the feeling he was going to pull the trigger. “I got to spend time with the coaches all day on Saturday as well as a few hours on Sunday. Coaches Avalos, Danielson, Ross, and Portenier all sat me down and explained to me what the program was all about. They talked about the tradition and the blue collar mentality. Then I got to watch some film on the defense and they showed how I would fit in to their scheme. Being around them I just got this guy feeling that this was the place I wanted to be at, so I told them I was committing.”
As to why he waited an extra day to make his commitment public, Brandon’s answer revealed much about his character as a person. “I wanted to get back home and talk to some of the other coaches who were recruiting me and inform them of my decision.”
Looking at Brandon on tape, he is poised to fit in very well for the Broncos in the future. The 6’3 205 lb LB had a phenomenal junior season where he had 132 tackles, 13 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 6 pass break ups (according to stats listed on his Hudl film). An aggressive player who flies to the ball, he displays good instincts at ready plays and great technique with wrapping up tackles. He shows good game speed, causes havoc in the backfield, and shows the ability to play in coverage against shorter routes, which is a positive development for a high school linebacker. Brandon says Avalos told him he is being brought in most likely as a SAM LB but may end up playing WILL also. Regardless, it doesn’t matter to Brandon. “I just want to be out on the field helping the team. I can come off the edge or play in the box and stop the run. Wherever they tell me to go.”
Hawkins has 15 total offers, according to Rivals, and chose Boise State over a list including Colorado State, Houston, Indiana, and Navy. He becomes the second known commit of the 2018 class and the first out of Texas.
