Javan Hawes, a 6-foot, 182-pound wide receiver from Tyrone (GA) Sandy Creek, recently received his first Power 5 conference scholarship offer from Minnesota. Hawes was the co-wide receiver MVP at the adidas Challenge earlier this spring, held in Buford, Georgia.
Hawes is expected to have a bigger role this upcoming season with the loss of Korey Banks, who will be a freshman at South Carolina this fall.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Hawes to learn the latest on his recruitment and upcoming season.
Gopher Hole: You received an offer from Minnesota recently. It was your first Power 5 conference offer. What was the feeling you had when you heard about the offer?
Javan Hawes: The feeling was amazing. It was something that I really appreciated. Something that I couldn’t explain. My parents were really happy. My whole family was happy. I was happy. It is unexplainable.
Gopher Hole: Coach Brian Anderson is your recruiter. What has your relationship with him been like?
Javan Hawes: He is a really good guy. Once you get to know him, we always have good conversations. I went to a camp, “Sound Mind and Sound Body” in Atlanta and that was my first time meeting him and then he kept in touch ever since then and then he saw me at the West Georgia camp and then like a day later he offered me. He says that he likes me as a wide receiver and that he and his staff liked me and the coaches like me and it took off from there.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota has several Georgia natives on the roster. Do you know any of them?
Javan Hawes: No. I saw that they got a juco transfer (Vincent Calhoun) and a strong safety coming out of high school, but I don’t know their names, though.
Gopher Hole: Have you ever been to Minnesota?
Javan Hawes: No. I’ll actually be taking that visit next month.
Gopher Hole: Do you know when that will be?
Javan Hawes: I don’t know yet.
Gopher Hole: Are you coming up for a camp or just for a visit?
Javan Hawes: For a visit.
Gopher Hole: What do you know about the Gophers?
Javan Hawes: Based on what the coach told me, but I really didn’t know much before that.
Gopher Hole: Have you ever seen them on TV or in the bowl game?
Javan Hawes: I have seen them on TV. They actually have one of my favorite player, Jalen Myrick. Number 5. He is my favorite player on the team.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a wide receiver?
Javan Hawes: Speed and route running and to be able to catch the ball. Plus my speed, I run a 10.51, so they really like that. I am a really fast receiver and catch the ball really well.
Gopher Hole: What things are you working on to continue to improve yourself?
Javan Hawes: I would say my awareness and the ability to set up a defender.
Gopher Hole: You have been traveling throughout Michigan to attend football camps. What has that experience like?
Javan Hawes: It’s been fun, going to all these colleges. Like today, I was in Eastern Michigan. They were very nice. Later on I am going to Sound Mind, Sound Body, here in Detroit and tomorrow, I am going to Western Michigan and the following day to the Michigan camp.
Gopher Hole: You are on a tour bus. What is that like?
Javan Hawes: Fun, but I am kind of tired of being in the car, but it is a good experience for me.
Gopher Hole: How many kids are you traveling with?
Javan Hawes: 12.
Gopher Hole: Do you talk recruiting with the other kids?
Javan Hawes: Yes. I have another running back from my school on the trip. I talk to him a lot about it.
Gopher Hole: You also run sprints for track. How does that help you as a receiver?
Javan Hawes: It helps me get my speed up. Honestly, in my mind, speed kills. If you catch it, it’s over with. I always work on my speed. It doesn’t matter what. If nothing else, it is my speed.
Gopher Hole: How did you do this season in track?
Javan Hawes: I did good. My best time was a 10.70. Two weeks prior to state, I strained my hamstring. I still qualified for state, but I could have done better. I didn’t do the best I could because of the hamstring and I am actually still rehabbing from that.
Gopher Hole: What offers do you have now?
Javan Hawes: Six. (He is up to nine offers now Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville State, Mercer, Miami (OH), Minnesota, Presbyterian, Purdue and Southern Mississippi)
Gopher Hole: What other schools are you hearing from besides those six?
Javan Hawes: I am hearing from Maryland, Western Kentucky University and Cincinnati. They should offer me at DB. I was at their camp.
Gopher Hole: Are some schools looking at you playing on the defensive side or are most looking at you as a wide receiver?
Javan Hawes: Mostly wide receiver. I like wide receiver better, but wherever I can play at. They are both fun, though.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that it helps playing both as you know as a receiver what the defensive backs are trying to do against you and visa versa?
Javan Hawes: Yes. It helps me a whole lot. It gives me a better understanding of the game and how to set people up. As a wide receiver, I can see how they line up and what they do and I do the same thing. It helps me as a DB a lot.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you are going to try to decide on a school? Would you try to decide before your school year or would you wait?
Javan Hawes: I haven’t thought that far yet. Once I get back to Atlanta and talk to my family, that is when I am going to buckle down. I am most likely going to commit next month.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about what you are going to try to major in?
Javan Hawes: I have. I want to major in Physical Therapy and Sports Management.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, academics are important to you. What is your ACT score?
Javan Hawes: 24.
Gopher Hole: You were 9-3 last season. How about your high school team? Do you return a lot of guys from last year’s team or did you lose a lot of guys to graduation?
Javan Hawes: We had 12 people graduate, but we had more juniors coming in than we had senior graduating last year and mainly all of them are good at football and most of them have offers.
Gopher Hole: Was your quarterback a senior last year or is he coming back?
Javan Hawes: Actually, our quarterback was a sophomore and he threw for 1500 plus, so that was good and hopefully, he’ll be even better this year.
Gopher Hole: Have you worked out much with him lately to get a relationship going before the season?
Javan Hawes: Of course. Every day, especially at summer workouts. Every day. Monday through Thursday and we’ll hook up the other days.