Travis Hawkins Interview

Thomas VanHaaren interviews MD CB Travis Hawkins.

 One of the top cornerback recruits on Michigan's board is Travis Hawkins. Travis is 5' 11" 180 pounds, and he runs a 4.42 40. He's considered a 4 star by the recruiting sites, and has only been playing at that position for this year. He's a talented kid, that has a lot of upside on both sides of the ball. Take a look at what he had to say.

TOM:   How has your recruitment been so far?

TRAVIS:   It’s been going well.  I’ve been to Michigan and Oregon on my officials. I was supposed to take one to Penn State this past weekend, but our game was cancelled because of a power outage so I couldn’t go.  I’m going to Maryland and Florida State also.

TOM:   What's your favorite part?

TRAVIS:   Just knowing that I’m wanted by the top colleges. Some of the calls from the coaches are pretty cool, to talk to guys that are famous. The stuff you have to go through is a lot, but it’ll be worth it.

TOM:   Are you down to a top 5 or top 3? Who are they?

TRAVIS:   I have a top 5. Maryland, Penn State, Michigan, Oregon, and WVU and Central Florida are in the mix too.

TOM:   When narrowing it down to a top 5, what factors in to that?

TRAVIS:   Academics are a big part, the environment on game day, my recruiting class is important to me, if I develop a bond with the other recruits. I’m a people person; I want to get along with my future team mates.

TOM:   Is everyone recruiting you at cornerback?

TRAVIS:   Most schools feel like I can play both sides of the ball, Central Florida will let me decide. Michigan said I can play both sides. Most likely it will be corner; I’m still deciding what I want to play.

TOM:  I read that you liked Michigan and Oregon; they seem to be who you talk about most. What stands out with them, and what are the differences?

TRAVIS:   Michigan’s academic advisors were the best of any visits. They are really glued to their success.  Coach Rodriguez is really relevant, he’s a good coach. Maryland is up there too, and my mom wants me to go there, and stay close to home. The coaches are cool and I really get along with the players too. Oregon is my dream school. I took a visit, and I like the coaches. Their facilities are ridiculous man, and the players are real cool too.

TOM:   Do you think that you and Jason Ankrah will be a package deal?  Are you both looking at different schools?

TRAVIS:   We’d like to be a package deal, but some schools he’s looking at and I’m not. Where ever I go I hope he goes, but it’s not a make or break thing.

TOM:   What happened with Penn State? He tried to commit and then didn’t?

TRAVIS:   It was a miscommunication between the two; they’ll take him whenever he’s ready. Penn State is everything I’m looking for in a school. We both like it a lot; I’m going to set up another official there soon.

TOM:   Is playing early a factor in deciding where you go?

TRAVIS:   Yea it is. Most likely I’m going to graduate early; anywhere I go I feel like I could compete, either on offense or defense.

TOM:   Has anyone put out any offers with conditions? If we don't get this guy, then we want you?

TRAVIS:   No, I haven’t heard any of that. No coaches have put that out there for me, which is good.

TOM:   When do you plan on committing?

TRAVIS:   My date was November 3^rd, but I’m pushing it back to the first week in December, or if I take a couple more officials, I might just commit where ever I feel comfortable.

TOM:   Is it hard to stay grounded, and stay focused with your newfound celebrity?

TRAVIS:   Not really, I try to put it in the back of my mind. There are a lot of people in my community that look up to me, so it’s good to be known. But you got to know how to handle it. I’m handling it well. The all American stuff, I’ll be playing in the Army All American game. Where ever I go, I’m still going to stay close with the people in my community.

TOM:   What do you bring to the table? What are your strengths and weaknesses?

TRAVIS:   My aggressiveness is definitely a strength, the way I play both the pass/run, and this is my first year playing corner so they don’t look at my last year’s film. They look more at my potential. They see me playing corner, even though I played safety my junior year.

TOM:   What are other coaches saying about Michigan this year?

TRAVIS:   Nothing really, they’re having a down year and coaches bring that up. There’s nothing really negative that they say.

TOM:  It seems like you've got a good training program for yourself, and you run a 4.42, is there anything you want to improve on for College?

TRAVIS:   I want to work on my backpedal, if I work on my start on my 40 I think I could get it faster. I want to learn the skills a little better, since I haven’t played corner too long. Mike Barwis at Michigan was ridiculous. He was saying stuff I’ve never heard of. He had me doing some stuff in the weight room, I couldn’t believe it.

TOM:  I can't be too biased, but Michigan will have some of the best facilities in 2010, there’s 110,000 fans at every game, good national TV exposure, the players consistently go to the NFL. Is there anywhere else that compares with what Michigan brings to the table?

TRAVIS:   I mean just knowing it’s Michigan, the tradition is crazy. I really like the academics part and the coaches. I talked to Coach Rodriguez a lot he was real cool. So yea it’s a good place to be.