While Aeneas Hawkins had one of the more impressive offer lists in the country, it looked like Hawkins would stay home and play for the University of Cincinnati, where both his parents graduated from. But after delaying his announcement a few times, Penn State was able to swoop in and steal Hawkins from his hometown school. Hawkins made his commitment to Penn State official in a spoof of Get Out, which might have been the funniest commitment video of all time.
Celebrations continue in Lasch as we welcome in @AeneasHawkins to the #PennState football family! ⚪️#WeAre18#PSUsigningday pic.twitter.com/1dMKARw1e4
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 20, 2017
Vitals
Position | Hometown | High School | Height/Weight | 247Composite Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Hometown | High School | Height/Weight | 247Composite Rank |
Defensive Tackle | Cincinnati, OH | Archbiship Moeller | 6-foot-2, 280 pounds | Three-star (0.8825) |
Highlights
Scouting Report
Hawkins played both defensive end and defensive tackle in high school, but no matter where he lined up, his quick first step was always on display. Whether it was beating offensive linemen with quickness or strength, his explosiveness out of his stance overwhelmed whoever was tasked with blocking him. But Hawkins didn’t sole rely on his athleticism, as he displayed a good-looking swim move on the interior.
At 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, Hawkins has decent size for a defensive tackle, but it remains to be seen just how much bigger he’ll be able to get. While someone like Judge Culpepper looks like he’ll be able to carry 315 pounds well, I’m not sure that’s the case for Hawkins. Of course, Penn State has seen success with lighter tackles in the past — Kevin Givens at 287 pounds, and Anthony Zettel at 284 pounds are great examples — so the precedent is there for Hawkins to flourish as a 3-Tech, even if he never hits three bills.
Outlook
Although Penn State isn’t exactly deep at the 3-Tech, I think Hawkins is in line for a redshirt season. He’s still making the adjustment to being a defensive tackle full-time so a year to get stronger — and hopefully a little heavier — should serve him well. He’s a pretty advanced, technically-sound player though, so I wouldn’t expect him to have to sit on the sidelines for long.