ORANGE, NJ – As one of the top high school football players in the state in the Class of 2019, Orange High School’s Nyquee Hawkins received numerous scholarship offers from major Division 1 colleges.
On Friday, April 13, the junior announced his commitment to Virginia Tech.
Hawkins, a 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback, is a four-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 8 player in New Jersey for the Class of 2019 and the No. 31 overall cornerback in the nation in the same class by rivals.com.
Hawkins chose Virginia Tech over offers from Boston College, UConn, Duke, Rutgers, Florida State, Penn State, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Minnesota, and Maryland.
Hawkins has been a member of USA Football. In January 2017, he played in the International Bowl for the U-17 USA team that played Japan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., home of the Dallas Cowboys.
In his sophomore season, Hawkins helped the Tornadoes reached the semifinals of the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 state playoffs where they lost to Morris Hills to finish 6-5.
This past season, the Tornadoes returned to the postseason in North 2, Group 4, falling to North Hunterdon in the quarterfinals to end with a 4-6 mark.
Last fall, Virginia Tech finished ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press national poll with a 9-4 record under head coach Justin Fuente, who completed his second year at the helm.