UCF added a piece to next season’s football roster with the commitment of Ohio State transfer Cedrick Hawkins .

The 5-foot-11 Hawkins is a 4-star from Cocoa High School , entering the portal after one season with the Buckeyes. He signed with Ohio State for 2023 but didn’t see action as a true freshman and entered the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday.

Hawkins was a two-way player for the Tigers, lining up at safety and wide receiver. According to MaxPreps , he totaled 314 tackles and 14 interceptions, 671 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. The Titusville native was heavily recruited out of high school, including by UCF, and received offers from Auburn, Arizona State, Florida, Florida State and Miami.

He was the No. 35 overall safety in the 2023 class and the 66th player from the state, according to 247Sports ‘ composite rankings.

The 20-year-old becomes the Knights’ first player added through the spring transfer window, which opened this week. He adds depth to a secondary that recently lost starting safety Nikai Martinez to the portal.