When San Antonio (Texas) Claudia Taylor Johnson four-star quarterback Ty Hawkins was 12 years old, he started watching the Elite 11 Finals on YouTube. He looked up to the event’s participants, since they usually became starters in college football and then the NFL.
Hawkins will follow in their footsteps as an Elite 11 Finals competitor this week, as he heads to California along with some of the top signal-callers in the country. The 6-foot-0, 189-pound recruit feels like the showcase is “a great platform for quarterbacks” and is excited to show what he can do under center.
“Since I was a kid, making the Elite 11 Finals has been one of my biggest goals,” Hawkins told On3. “When I got the invite, I was super grateful and glad to join the fraternity of quarterbacks that have gone through the Elite 11 Finals. When I was younger and before I got the invite, I was thinking about the Elite 11 Finals. I’m ready to work and do my best.”
Hawkins is looking forward to participating in multiple drills – such as the rail shot challenge –and situations like Pro Day and seven-on-seven environments. He also plans to focus on having “a coachable mindset.”
The TCUcommit is confident that the event’s instructors can help him improve his game because of their experience working with talented quarterbacks in the past. That is why the No. 18 player in Texas plans to pay close attention to their lessons and tips.
“I’m going into it with an attitude to show that I can compete with anybody and that I am the best quarterback in the nation,” said Hawkins, the No. 87 overall prospect and No. 9 quarterback in the 2025 On300. “There’s no doubt about it. I want to show that I can play with anybody, compete, make all the throws and do everything that I’m supposed to as a quarterback.”
Oregon and SMU aren’t giving up on Hawkins, a TCU commit
Hawkins is currently the second-highest-ranked prospect in TCU’s 2025 recruiting class. He remains pledged to the Horned Frogs because of his connections with the coaching staff, his membership in TCU’s class for nearly a year and his work helping other prospects choose the Big 12 program.
“I’m at a great place with TCU,” Hawkins said. “I recently talked with coach Kendal Briles and coach Sonny Dykes. We have a great relationship and we have since I’ve been committed. I’m super excited to take my official visit there, starting June 20, and go see all the coaches and staff at TCU.”
Yet two programs are working to flip Hawkins from the Horned Frogs: Oregonand SMU.
Hawkins returned to the Mustangs’ campus for an official visit from June 10-12. The four-star “really enjoyed” his trip to SMU and had a good enough time to bring them back into the mix.
“Coach D’Eriq Kingis a great guy,” Hawkins said. “He’s really new there, but I feel like we can connect because he is a younger coach. Coach Rhett Lashleeis really cool. I like him a lot. He calls the plays, so I like his offense a lot. The Dallas area is really nice too.”
Even though Oregon already has a commitment from fellow Elite 11 Finals participant and San Diego (Calif.) Lincoln four-star quarterback Akili Smith Jr., the Ducks are interested in Hawkins. A key reason why is because of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Will Stein, who was the first coach to offer Hawkins while he was working at UTSA.
“They are hanging in there and staying in communication with me,” Hawkins said. “Me and coach Stein talk on the phone from time to time. Every time we talk, we have a good conversation. I like him as a person and also as a coach. What he did with Frank Harris in his offense at UTSA, I think that was really good.”
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