Twitter: jhawko6 | calfootball
Instagram: jhawk.6 | cal_football
Pronunciation
JAY-linn
After Cal
• Selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 134th pick overall
• One of three former Cal football student-athletes that participated in the 2020 NFL Combine along with Ashtyn Davis and Evan Weaver and put up measurable testing marks of 35.5 in the vertical jump and 117.0 in the broad jump (117.0)
• Played in the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and contributed three tackles for a National team that was a 30-20 winner over the American squad
Hawkins' Cal Career Game Highs
Tackles: 10 (vs. Stanford, 2016)
Tackles For Loss: 1.5 (vs. USC, 2017)
Tackle For Loss Yards: 10 (vs. Washington, 2018)
Sacks: 1.0 (twice, last at Stanford, 2019)
Sack Yards: 4 (vs. North Texas, 2019)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (three times, last vs. Washington State, 2019)
Interceptions: 3 (vs. TCU, 2018)
Interception Return Yards: 29 (vs. TCU, 2018)
Long Interception Return: 29 (vs. TCU, 2018)
Pass Breakups: 2 (at USC, 2018)
Quarterback Hurries: 1 (at BYU, 2018)
Kick Returns: 2 (twice, last at Washington State, 2018)
Kick Return Yards: 38 (at Washington, 2017)
Long Kick Return: 27 (vs. Arizona State, 2019)
All-Purpose Yards: 38 (at Washington, 2017)
Cal Career (2015-19)
• The only Cal player to participate in all 50 games possible from 2016-19 after redshirting ihis first season at Cal in 2015, while also leading all Cal players from 2016-19 with 38 starts including each of his final 20 games in a row
• Contributed 158 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss (-31 yards), 2.0 sacks (-6 yards), 10 interceptions that he returned 90 yards, seven pass breakups, 17 passes defended, three forced fumbles and nine kick returns for 129 yards over the last three-plus seasons to total 219 all-purpose yards
• Registered 10 career interceptions that ranks tied for eighth on Cal's all-time list with nine of those coming over his final two campaigns with a career-high six as a 2018 junior and three more in his 2019 senior season
• Registered career highs of 56 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks (-6 yards), two forced fumbles and 47 kick return yards in a career-high-tying 13 games and a career-high 13 starts as a senior
• Had career highs of 17 tackle for loss yards, six interceptions, three pass breakups, nine passes defended and four kick returns as a junior with the six interceptions also tied for the eighth-most by a Cal player in a single season
• Recruited to Cal as a wide receiver then spent the 2015 season working out with the cornerbacks before moving to safety in the spring of 2016
• Changed his uniform to No. 6 beginning with the 2016 season after wearing No. 20 during his first campaign at Cal as a 2015 true freshman and during 2016 spring football
Senior (2019)
• Selected honorable mention All-Pac-12 and earned Cal's Ken Cotton Award as the Golden Bears' Most Courageous Player
• One of seven players and five on the defensive side of the ball to start all 13 games with his games played total tying a career high and his starts a career best
• Registered career highs of 56 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks (-6 yards), two forced fumbles and 47 kick return yards on a pair of kick returns with his tackles for loss accounting for 10 yards but not a career high
• Had a team-high three interceptions (T10th, Pac-12) that he returned for 29 yards to total 76 all-purpose yards, as well as two pass breakups and five passes defended
• Had a season-high seven tackles at UCLA
• Had six tackles and one interception that he returned 12 yards in the Redbox Bowl against Illinois
• Registered five tackles five times against North Texas, at Ole Miss, at Oregon, vs. USC and at Stanford, adding 1.0 tackle for loss (-4 yards) and a career-high-tying 1.0 sack (career-high -4 yards) as well as one of his three career forced fumbles against the Mean Green
• Had four tackles on five occasions against UC Davis and Arizona State, as well as at Utah, vs. USC and at Stanford, adding 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards) and one pass breakup against the Aggies, 0.5 tackles for loss (-0 yards) against the Sun Devils, a career-high-tying 1.0 sack (-2 yards) as well as one interception at Stanford, and 1.0 tackle for loss (-1 yards) against USC
• Had three tackles vs. Oregon State and Washington State, adding his first interception of the season that he returned 17 yards, one forced fumble and one pass breakup against the Cougars to earn Cal's Defensive Player of the Game honors while serving as a game captain against the Beavers
• Had two stops at Washington
• A preseason second-team All-Pac-12 selection of Athlon, Lindy's and Pro Football Focus, while he was an honorable mention pick of the league's media
• Saw limited action during the spring game and did not record any statistics other than participation
Junior (2018)
• Played in a career-high-tying 13 games with 12 starts
• Led the Pac-12 and the team in total interceptions with a career-high six and interceptions per game (career-high 0.5) that ranked tied for third and tied for fifth nationally, respectively, with the six interceptions also tied for the eighth-most by a Cal player in a single season
• Also led Pac-12 safeties in passer rating when targeted for those with a minimum of 200 snaps on defense with a 1.7 passer rating allowed
• Added 32 tackles as well as 3.5 tackles for loss (career-high -17 yards), as well as career highs of 39 interception return yards, three pass breakups, nine passes defended, one quarterback hurry and four kick returns that he brought back for 38 yards
• Named the Cheez-It Bowl Defensive MVP after recording a career-high and Cheez-It Bowl record three interceptions that he returned a career-high 29 yards against TCU that were the most in any bowl game during the 2018 campaign and earned him a spot on the Sports Illustrated All-Bowl team, while adding a season-high six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss (-1 yard)
• His three interceptions against TCU were the most by a Cal player since Kameron Jackson also had three in a home game against UCLA in 2012
• Registered two interceptions against North Carolina to become the first Cal player to intercept two passes in a game since Camryn Bynum accomplished the feat against Washington State in 2017 while also adding a single tackle in the contest
• Added his other pick of the campaign at BYU along with two tackles and his lone career quarterback hurry
• Had five tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards) against Stanford
• Registered three tackles against Washington and Oregon as well as at USC, adding 1.0 tackle for loss (career-high -10 yards) and one pass breakup against the Huskies, as well as 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards) and a career-high two pass breakups against the Trojans when he served as a team game captain
• Had two tackles vs. UCLA and at Oregon State, playing in only the second half against the Bruins after being called for a targeting penalty in the second half of the previous contest at Arizona
• Had a single tackle against Idaho State, at Arizona and vs. Colorado
• Also had a career-high four kick returns for 38 yards with one for 19 yards against Oregon, one for 17 yards vs. UCLA and two for two yards at Washington State
• Recorded three tackles in the spring game
Sophomore (2017)
• Played in and started 11 of the team's 12 games
• Contributed 41 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss (-4 yards), one pass breakup, one interception that he ran back a career-long 22 yards, two passes defended and three kick returns that he ran back a career-high 44 yards
• Recorded eight tackles and his lone interception of the campaign that he returned a season-long 22 yards against Ole Miss
• Had six tackles and a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss (-4 yards) against USC
• Had four tackles on four occasions at Washington, vs. Washington State, at Colorado and at Stanford, adding his first two career kick returns for 38 yards against the Huskies and his first of three career forced fumbles against the Cougars
• Had three tackles at North Carolina and at Oregon State
• Picked up two stops at Oregon and vs. Arizona, adding one pass breakup against the Ducks
• Had one tackle at UCLA
• Registered one tackle in the spring game
Freshman (2016)
• Played in all 12 games and started the last three contests at one safety spot for his first three career starts
• Contributed 29 tackles
• Registered a career-high 10 tackles vs. Stanford
• Also had four stops vs. Utah and three at Washington State, as well as two on five occasions (at Oregon State, vs. Oregon, at USC, vs. Washington, vs. UCLA), and one against Hawai'i and Texas
• A Jonathan and Judy Hoff Football Scholar-Athlete of the Week
• Did not participate in contact during spring practices and did not play in the spring game due to injury
Freshman (2015)
• Played in one game off the bench in the season-opener vs. Grambling State and recorded one pass breakup against the Tigers before redshirting due to injury
Buena Park HS (Class of 2015)
• A two-way standout at wide receiver and cornerback that played for teams that registered a combined 25-9 record over his three varsity campaigns as a 2012 sophomore, 2013 junior and 2014 senior
• Career defensive numbers included 223 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 11 interceptions that he returned for 189 yards, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 21 passes defended
• Returned 15 career punts for 346 yards and a 23.1 yards per punt return average
• Had a huge senior season when he earned first-team All-Southern Section Southwest Division, first-team All-County, first-team All-Freeway League and team MVP honors with career highs of 80 catches, 1,476 yards receiving (18.5 ypr) and 16 touchdown catches, while adding three rushes for 36 yards for a team that posted an 11-2 overall record, a 4-1 Freeway League mark and reached the semifinals of the Southwest Division of the Southern Section playoffs
• Totaled 1,623 all-purpose yards as a senior, adding three rushes for 36 yards, three punt returns for 68 yards and 43 interception return yards
• Started off his senior campaign with a combined 16 catches, 575 yards receiving and six touchdowns in his first two contests
• Had a career-high and school-record 294 yards receiving and four touchdowns against Orange in his season-opener as a senior
• Finished his senior season with six 100-yard receiving games as well as six contests with multiple scoring catches
• Added 60 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions that he returned 43 yards and five passes defended on defense as a senior
• Picked up second-team All-County, first-team All-Freeway League and team MVP honors as a junior, contributing 54 catches for 777 yards receiving and three scores
• Totaled 899 all-purpose yards as a junior, adding two rushes for 10 yards, five punt returns for 72 yards and 40 interception return yards
• Had a huge junior season on defense with 104 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions that he returned 40 yards, one fumble recovery and nine passes defended
• Junior team was 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Freeway League while reaching the first round of the Southern Section Southwest Division playoffs
• Earned his team’s Rookie of the Year honors as a sophomore for a 6-4 squad when he contributed 18 receptions for 190 yards receiving and two touchdowns as well as one rush for six yards
• Added 59 tackles, five interceptions that he returned 106 yards, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as a sophomore
• Totaled 508 all-purpose yards as a sophomore, adding seven punt returns for 206 yards
• Wore No. 4
Recruiting Notes (Class of 2015)
• Stars: 247Sports Composite (4), Rivals (4), Scout (4), 247Sports (3), ESPN (3)
• National Overall Player Ratings: Scout (176), Rivals (233), 247Sports Composite (269)
• National Wide Receiver Ratings: Scout (21), Rivals (24), 247Sports Composite (32), 247Sports (42), ESPN (63)
• Regional Overall Player Ratings: ESPN (69)
• West Wide Receiver Ratings: Scout (3)
• California Overall Player Ratings: Rivals (32), 247Sports Composite (36), ESPN (45), 247Sports (51)
• California Wide Receiver Ratings: Scout (2)
• Ratings/Scout Grades: 247Sports Composite (0.9019), 247Sports (89), ESPN (79), Rivals (5.8)
• A member of the Rivals250 rankings
Other
• Born August 25, 1997
• Son of Jermaine and Angie Hawkins
• Has served as a peer advisor in Cal's Athletic Study Center
• Uncle, Jeremiah Hawkins, is a senior wide receiver at Cal in 2020 and was his prep football teammate at Buena Park High School, where he also played on the gridiron with former Cal wide receiver Taariq Johnson
• Graduated from Cal in December of 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in American studies
Last Updated
April 26, 2020
