Florida football WR Tank Hawkins opting out for remainder of 2025 season

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Florida football wide receiver Tank Hawkins has opted out for the remainder of the 2025 season, Florida Gators interim coach Billy Gonzales confirmed on Nov. 8

The speedy 5-10, 178-pound Hawkins appeared in just four games for UF this season, making just two catches for 16 yards.

Hawkins is the first Florida football player to opt out since Billy Napier was fired on Oct. 19 and by opting out, can preserve a redshirt after playing as a true freshman last season. He did not make the trip with UF out to Kentucky.

“Tank came up, very professional, he came out and asked if he could preserve his redshirt," Gonzales said. "Absolutely. I said, I 100% honor it."

As a true freshman in 2024, Hawkins had 10 catches for 100 yards and 1 TD. But even with numerous injuries to UF's receiving corps, Hawkins was unable to establish a consistent role in UF's offense in 2025.

A consensus four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals, Hawkins, from Fredericksburg, Va., played his senior year at IMG Academy Bradenton, where he helped lead the team to a 10-0 record with 26 catches for 483 yards and 4 TDs.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football WR first opt out since Billy Napier was fired as UF coach

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