Rebels looking out West to fill their TE need

Jason Hawkins (TE, San Bernardino Valley CC, CA) - It is no secret that the Rebels are looking for some tight end help in the upcoming class. After failing to sign one last year, there is a major emphasis on signing at least two in the '06 class..One of the targets they are looking at is Jason Hawkins. He is set to to take an official visit to Ole Miss this weekend.

Player Profile

Height: 6-4
Weight: 255
40 time: 4.59
Bench: 335
Squat: 500
Clean: 275

High School: Bloomington HS in Bloomington, CA
College: San Bernardino Valley College

The following information was revealed during our interview with Jason Hawkins:

What are your strengths at tight end? "My catching ability, and my speed is a pretty good advantage for me too. I also block really well."

What do you need to work on to take your game to that next level? "I need to keep working on my speed and my strength. The better that gets, the better my overall game will shape up."

Did you sign with anybody out of high school? "No sir, I took a couple of years off. I was working and going to school part time. Then I decided to come back and play. I really did not get any recognition out of high school. I played in a Double T Wing offense, so all the TE's did was down block."

Your stats as a freshman? "I had 19 catches for 398 yards and 5 TD's. I was named 1st Team All-Conference."

And talk about this season. "Well, I had 28 catches for 420 yards and 4 TD's. I was named 1st Team All-Conference again, and my coach put me up for the All-State team. That comes out in a week or so."

Who are the main schools that are recruiting you? "Mississippi, Central Florida, Tulsa, Arizona State, and Utah. I believe those are the main ones. There are some more schools who call me here and there."

Which colleges have offered you? "All of those colleges have offered me verbally."

You will be visiting? "I go to Ole Miss this weekend (12/4) and Central Florida the next (12/11)."

Are you still scheduled to graduate in December? "Yes, I am a mid year player."

Will you just visit those two schools? "I might go on another one. It just depends on who and where and what day."

When did Ole Miss start recruiting you? "The second game of our season. They were out here. I do not know why or anything like that. They just came to a game of ours. Coach Rippon saw me play, and at half-time, my coach told me they were really interested in me. He gave me a call on Monday, and we have been talking every since."

What have you seen in Ole Miss that you like? "I looked up their graduation percentage for their football team. The last rankings came out like a month ago, and they were #7 in the country. That grabbed my attention. And their football program is in up and coming program. They have a new staff and all. They are trying to rebuild, and I would like to be a part of that. Their coaching staff is real cool too. Coach Rippon calls me the most, but I have spoken to pretty much all of their coaches on the phone. It has given me a chance to get to know their staff. They are real down to earth people. I also did some research on their business school, and I came away impressed. That is what I want to major in."

What will you be checking out while you are on your visit? "I will look at their professors and see how their academics are as a whole more than I will the athletics. I will also look at their community."

And when you get back from your visits; what will be the main factor when it comes decision time? "I will base my decision on my overall experience from my visits. I have to get that feel for it."