Florida WR Tank Hawkins Enters Transfer Portal After Redshirt Season
Florida wide receiver Tank Hawkins is officially on the move. The speedy sophomore has entered the NCAA transfer portal after opting out late in the 2025 season, signaling the end of his time in Gainesville.
Hawkins, a former IMG Academy standout, came to Florida with sky-high expectations and a reputation for elite speed-reportedly hitting 23 miles per hour during offseason training. That speed turned heads from the start, and the buzz only grew louder once he enrolled in 2024. Former head coach Billy Napier didn’t hold back when describing Hawkins’ potential on Early Signing Day, calling him “one of the more electric skill players in the country” and projecting him as the fastest player on the Gators’ roster.
But as we’ve seen time and again in college football, raw speed doesn’t always translate to immediate production. Hawkins’ on-field contributions in 2025 were limited-just two catches in the first two games of the season.
He hauled in a 14-yard reception against Long Island University and followed that up with a two-yard grab in a narrow loss to USF. He also saw the field in matchups against Mississippi State and Georgia but didn’t record any stats in those appearances.
The decision to opt out came to light during Florida’s 38-7 loss at Kentucky, and interim head coach Billy Gonzales later confirmed that Hawkins approached the staff about preserving his redshirt.
“Tank came up, very professional. He came out and asked if he could preserve his redshirt,” Gonzales said postgame. “Absolutely, I said I 100 percent honor it.”
The move makes sense for a player still developing both physically and mentally for the college game. Hawkins was listed at just 170 pounds heading into spring camp, and while his straight-line speed is undeniable, the coaching staff made it clear that he and fellow freshman wideout TJ Abrams were still adjusting to the complexity of the offense.
“They’re super fast,” Gonzales said of the young duo. “But here’s the biggest thing-just like anything else, when you get on the football field and you start going, the more that you put in… the first couple days, ‘vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom,’ looking fast.
And then once you start putting a lot in as a freshman, it’s ‘Where am I lining up?’ The processing starts to take a hold of them a little bit.”
That learning curve is common for young receivers, especially those transitioning from high school to the speed and complexity of the SEC. Gonzales emphasized that both Hawkins and Abrams were committed to the process and passionate about football, but the staff needed to give them space to step back, reset, and get back to playing fast.
“They both care a ton about it. They love football. I’m super excited about both of them,” Gonzales said.
Now, Hawkins will look for a new opportunity where he can put that elite speed to use in a system that fits his skill set. He’s still early in his college career, and with a redshirt year preserved, he’ll have time to find the right fit and grow into the player so many believed he could become coming out of high school.
Wherever he lands, Hawkins brings a rare athletic profile and the kind of top-end speed that can change a game in a blink. The next chapter of his journey starts now.