T.J. Lawrence, the 6-foot-1.5, 190-pound four-star wide receiver/defensive back from Kathleen Senior High School in Lakeland, Fla., finished his junior season with 52 receptions, 1245 yards and 15 touchdowns.
"I have great speed and I like to blow by people," Lawrence said. "I like to keep the defenders guessing. I'm a big playmaker, but I still want to improve my quickness and agility. I'd like to run smoother routes."
He benches 270 pounds, squats 350 and has a 36-inch vertical jump. Lawrence says he runs the forty in 4.55.
Lawrence, ranked No. 60 in the Southeast by Scout.com, has over 20 scholarship offers but denies a favorite. He likes Florida, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Iowa and Miami and says that they have all offered. He also has offers from Boise State, Ole Miss, LSU, Arizona State, Michigan State, Georgia Tech and several others.
"My first offer was from Ole Miss during my sophomore year," he said. "The last school to offer me was Florida."
Indeed, Lawrence says he grew up following the Gators. "I just liked them because they are in-state (about three hours away) and I just grew up on them," Lawrence said. "I like that they are the No. 1 team in the nation and it's a great program overall."
Although most schools are recruiting him for offense, Lawrence says that Virginia Tech wants him as a cornerback. "They have a great defense," he said. "I think I'd be able to play early there. They are basically the only school recruiting me for defense."
The only two schools that Lawrence has already visited are Florida and Virginia Tech, but he'd like to be able to check out Florida State and Iowa as well. "Florida State is on the up-rise and I know the program has great tradition," Lawrence said. "I think the new offense will be great.
"I haven't seen Iowa yet, but I'd really like to check them out," Lawrence said. "I'd be the tallest receiver there if I went to Iowa."
Lawrence plans to take all his time before narrowing down his choices. "I have to like the coaches and I want to play for a strong offense," he said. "I want a coach that is cool, but that will also put me in my place when I need it. I want a coach who will tell me what I'm doing wrong."
In addition to being a top football recruit, Lawrence is also being recruited for baseball. He plays centerfield and has a .429 batting average with one home run and 15 stolen bases. "If I feel like I can handle playing both sports, I'll give it a try," he said.
He reports a 2.5 core GPA and a 17 ACT.