2018 Brayden Hawkins competed at an overnight football camp at Miami University of Ohio when his father received an unexpected phone call. “It was [Miami University head coach] Chuck Martin,” Mr. Hawkins recalls. “He said to me, ‘Mr. Hawkins, who scripted your son? He’s so respectful.’” That’s been the story for Brayden. He puts his head down and gets to work.
Brayden starts at quarterback for York High School in South Carolina. Entering his junior year, Brayden measures 6-3, 210 pounds. He trains with guru quarterback coach Steve Clarkson and has hired a personal nutritionist and personal trainer on his own dime.
The results speak for themselves. Brayden finished top ten at the Quarterback Retreat in San Diego, California, where he beat out several of the most coveted senior quarterback prospects in the country. He also competed at the Sound Mind Sound Body Camp in Atlanta, Georgia, where several Division 1 programs approached him.
So where are all of the scholarship offers?
Despite having one of the strongest arms in the country, Brayden has not received a scholarship offer. It’s certainly not for a lack of talent – Brayden has only one year of film! Brayden actually spent his freshman year of high school in Waxhaw, North Carolina where he backed up five-star quarterback (and eventual Oklahoma University commit) Austin Kendall.
As a backup, Brayden prioritized the team’s best interests. He used this as an opportunity to learn from one of the country’s top quarterbacks. With maturity well beyond his age, Brayden prioritized balancing athletics with academics (Did I mention he has a 3.85 GPA?).
Brayden returned to York for his sophomore year of high school where he started at quarterback. After a yearlong hiatus, Brayden quickly found his stride. He led York High School to the South Carolina state playoffs where they ranked as the sixth best team in Division II.
“He’s not the best quarterback in the country,” Mr. Hawkins explained. “But I challenge you to find a harder worker.”
As a result of his work ethic, college coaches are finding they don’t merely like Brayden Hawkins… they love him.
With only a few weeks remaining until the high school football season begins, look for Brayden to ascend up recruitment boards as he accrues more film. By season’s end, expect the question of scholarship offers to shift. No longer will we be wondering where the scholarship offers are, but rather, which team will pull the trigger on an offer first?
