Former Ole Miss cornerback Jakorey Hawkins commits to Cowboys

LARAMIE -- Wyoming's new-look secondary is beginning to take shape.

Two days after snagging a safety, the Cowboys received a commitment from former Ole Miss cornerback Jakorey Hawkins Sunday evening. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Hawkins becomes the fifth played Craig Bohl and Co. have poached from the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, joining quarterbacks Evan Svoboda (Snow College) and Andrew Peasley (Utah State), along with aforementioned safety TJ Urban (Air Force) and Cole DeMarzo (Michigan State).

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Hawkins, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound Montgomery, Alabama, product, suited up for the Rebels for the last four seasons, tallying 32 tackles, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles while serving in a limited role.

The Robert E. Lee High School standout and former three-star defensive back received offers from Auburn, Penn State, South Carolina, West Virginia, Illinois, and many others. He also garnered interest from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU and Notre Dame. Hawkins was the No. 2-ranked corner in Alabama and the 18th-rated overall prospect in the state.

Hawkins appeared in four games as a true freshman in 2018. Primarily a special teams contributor, Hawkins played in all 12 games for the Rebels the following season, registering a pair of stops. He eventually started six games at the corner spot for Lane Kiffin's squad during the 2020 campaign.

Against No. 2 Alabama, Hawkins forced and recovered a fumble near the goal line in just his third career start. Inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Hawkins, who was the highest-rated Ole Miss run defender that day, recorded a career-best eight tackles and added a pass breakup.

MORE UW TRANSFER PORTAL NEWS:

* Pokes add safety transfer from Air Force Academy

* Former Utah State QB Andrew Peasley inks with Wyoming

* UW signs former Michigan State linebacker Cole DeMarzo

* Patience pays off: QB Evan Svoboda signs with Cowboys

Wyoming has also added another cornerback who has yet to make his announcement public, according to a source familiar with the situation. Hawkins was on campus in Laramie Saturday.

The Cowboys are looking to replace a depleted secondary that saw top corners -- CJ Coldon and Azizi Hearn -- enter the transfer portal after Wyoming's 52-38 victory over Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Safety Rome Weber also entered the portal after the win in Boise. Fellow safeties Braden Smith and Esaias Gandy exhausted their eligibility in 2021.

Coldon announced Sunday evening that he has committed to the University of Oklahoma. Weber is now at Western Kentucky.

University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

During the summer of 2021, 7220Sports.com counted down the Top 50 football players in University of Wyoming history, presented by Premier Bone & Joint Centers, Worthy of Wyoming.

The rules are simple: What was the player's impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.

This isn't a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220's Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.

We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS -- only we hope this catalog is fairer.

Don't agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports - #Top50UWFB

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players