Jeremy Hawkins: New Defensive Line Coach

[Nick44]

According to my arithmetic, we gave up 419 points, and they gave up 454.

How many times did they play Notre Dame?

 

[AngryOtto]

Interesting hire. Hopefully he can teach along with his ability to recruit.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

For a school that went 1-11, it’s impressive how sought after some of their guys are.

 

[anomander]

People really think there’s a major difference in how to teach our DE’s? This seems an outstanding hire to me. He should be able to kill it with more resources. There’s certain positions i’d rather have lights out recruiters than teachers. This is one of them .

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

 

[Toga]

Interesting.

Looks too skinny to be a defensive line coach.

Maybe this is like how you always wonder about chefs that aren't at least a little bit chubby, but slender chefs can still be pretty good.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Huge hire

 

[JarHeadJim]

Love this hire. We need more inroads to the talent in Georgia. Homerun!

 

[orangenauburn]

Kehres is the talent developer. This guy is the talent acquirer.

Im fine with that.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Kehres is the talent developer. This guy is the talent acquirer.

Im fine with that.

yep. He will be best recruiter on the team other than Fran. Good balance with the new DC who I think will bring 1-2 of his guys

 

[kcsu]

Anyone notice a connection between his background / prior stops and our staff? I don’t see an obvious one. Maybe connection with someone from the Toledo staff?

He is an elite recruiter in an area we need to cover. Checks that box. By all accounts players coach. Young tons of upside. Solid hire

 

[djorange1989]

This is a great hire. Anyone who is seriously posting about them going 1-11 and how that makes this a bad hire needs to put down the pipe

 

[swish7]

Jeremy Hawkins was elevated to the assistant head coach in January 2025. Previously, he served as the defensive line coach for the Panthers during the 2024 season.

Hawkins joined the Georgia State staff as defensive line coach in 2024 from Eastern Kentucky, where he spent the last four seasons as defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator. He previously worked on the staffs at Mercer, LSU and UAB.

In 2021, Hawkins was named to the AFCA's 35 Under 35 list.

He helped EKU to back-to-back winning seasons in 2021-22, including a berth in the 2022 NCAA FCS Playoffs.

In 2021, Hawkins oversaw a defensive line that helped rank 15th nationally in red-zone defense while leading the conference with 22 sacks and 66 tackles for loss. Four defensive linemen garnered All-ASUN recognition.

Hawkins went to EKU in 2020 after one season (2019) as the defensive line coach at Mercer and one year at LSU, where he served as the assistant director of player personnel during the 2018 season, helping the Tigers to a 10-3 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.

From 2015-17, he was assistant defensive line coach and director of player personnel at UAB, and in his final season, the Blazers went 8-5 and earned a spot in the Bahamas Bowl.

Hawkins was the head coach and defensive coordinator at Middle Georgia State College in 2014, following a two-year stint (2012-13) as the defensive line coach at Dublin (Ga.) High School. He began his college coaching career in 2011 as the running backs and tight ends coach at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Hawkins was a four-year letter winner at Troy, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sports and fitness management in 2009 and a master’s degree in sports administration in 2014. As a player, he helped the Trojans reach three bowl games and then went on to play one year of Arena Football for the Iowa Bandits.

Strikes me as a young, hungry type who will be appreciative of a power conference opportunity & may help find diamonds in the rough.

Nice to have a mix & not bloat the roster entirely w power conference retreads. Or, 'swapping spit' as FB might say.

As with all of these moves, 'we'll see'...

I'll judge the DL on how well they penetrate the pass blocking & stuff runs.

 

[Atlcuse44]

So Georgia State previously hired a bunch of good recruiters to coach? That sounds familiar for some reason.

Honestly though, I have no idea how good of a coach this guy is. He might be an awesome X's & O's coach for all I know. While this looks like a Fran pick, I wonder how much input Kehres had in this hire.

 

[MikeSU02]

Seems like a smart move to get the hungry recruiter on the DL (vs being a first time DC) that can grow under our new DC that seems to be more of a high level coach and seasoned DC.

 

[Archbold44]

A few thinks to think about. Forget about Fran for a moment... as D.C. for Toledo, a Mac team with perhaps the best resources in the conference, Vince might have been looking at guys to hire to replace his own guys. Perhaps this was a name that he wanted, but knew Toledo could not afford or would strain resources to get. And now he finally has the ability/resources to get him. Perhaps there is also a defensive philosophical match. I think it is kind of nuts to tie Georgia State's record to one coach.

 

[shu 49]

Kehres is the talent developer. This guy is the talent acquirer.

Im fine with that.

Kehres will show him how and what he wants done on dline for his system to work. It’s not a big issue I don’t think. U still have Freeney there for help . I’m excited for whomever they get.

 

[721Comstock]

Kehres will show him how and what he wants done on dline for his system to work. It’s not a big issue I don’t think. U still have Freeney there for help . I’m excited for whomever they get.

Are we going to keep “Dr Blitz” around as an advisor also?

Because that would be freaking Frantastic!!

A proven DC with a coupla ringers as QC assistants or whatever guys in those roles are called.

Sign me up!!

 

[JoeSU]

Interesting.

Looks too skinny to be a defensive line coach.

Maybe this is like how you always wonder about chefs that aren't at least a little bit chubby, but slender chefs can still be pretty good.

And my wife's OB/GYN is a man.
Go figure.

 

[dollarbill44]

Possibly this guy. True freshman had 6 TFL and 3 sacks as a DT. Not a ton of guys from that team that pop off the page. We could do better

Great name!

 

[DocFlanders]

I hope he can develop guys and not just be an high level recruiter.

Has pro DL coach experience, that cant hurt

 

[sufan59]

GT guy.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

And my wife's OB/GYN is a man.
Go figure.

...

He hot?

 

[orangefog]

...

He hot?

He's no Ed Bastian.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

He's no Ed Bastian.

Few are.

True silver fox.