Tre Hawkins III Bio
Tre Hawkins III, whose full name is Larry Tre Hawkins III, is an American professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Born on August 1, 2000, in Temple, Texas, he currently plays for the Washington Commanders after beginning his NFL career with the New York Giants. Standing at 6 ft 3 in and listed at 195 lb, Hawkins brings an imposing frame to the cornerback position and has developed into a special-teams contributor with starting potential.
Selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft, Hawkins earned a roster spot as a rookie and appeared in every regular-season game that year. After injuries reshaped his path, he found a new opportunity in Washington, signing with the Commanders midway through the 2025 season before inking a reserve/futures contract to remain with the organization.
Early Life and Background
Tre Hawkins III grew up in Temple, Texas, a city in central Texas with a strong high school football tradition. He attended Temple High School, where he developed the size and athleticism that would eventually make him an NFL prospect. The local football culture in Temple, combined with his natural physical tools, helped lay the foundation for his future in the sport.
Coming out of high school, Hawkins was not heavily recruited as a top-tier FBS-level prospect, which led him to take the junior college route. He continued his early football development while keeping his long-term goal of reaching a major college program and, ultimately, the NFL within reach.
Path to American Football
Hawkins began his collegiate career at Trinity Valley Community College, where he played for the Trinity Valley Cardinals during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. His time at the junior-college level allowed him to refine his coverage skills, add bulk to his frame, and earn attention from four-year programs.
After two seasons at Trinity Valley, Hawkins transferred to Old Dominion University, where he played for the Old Dominion Monarchs from 2020 through 2022. Across his three seasons at Old Dominion, he recorded 134 tackles, including six tackles for loss, two interceptions, 12 pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles. His production and measurables convinced NFL scouts that he was worthy of a draft selection.
Tre Hawkins III Career
Early Career (2018–2022)
Tre Hawkins III’s earliest organized football résumé began at Trinity Valley Community College, where he spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons playing cornerback for the Cardinals. His development during those two years helped him secure a scholarship to the FBS level and set the stage for a productive stretch at Old Dominion.
At Old Dominion, Hawkins became a dependable defender across the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons. He finished his senior campaign with the kind of all-around production that teams look for in a developmental cornerback, generating tackles, passes defended, and takeaways while contributing on special teams.
New York Giants Era (2023–2024)
Hawkins was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round, 209th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft. He went on to appear in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie, logging 35 combined tackles while primarily contributing on special teams and in sub-package defensive roles. The Giants valued his combination of size, length, and willingness to play through contact.
His most memorable moment as a Giant came in Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints, when Hawkins recorded his first career interception off quarterback Derek Carr. The pick ended an 11-game stretch without an interception for New York, tying an NFL team record. The celebration was short-lived, however, as Hawkins suffered a fractured lumbar spine in the same game, ending his 2023 season. He returned to action the following year before being waived by the Giants on August 26, 2025, with an injury designation as part of final roster cuts.
Washington Commanders Era (2025–Present)
After clearing waivers, Hawkins joined the Washington Commanders on November 5, 2025, when the team signed him to its practice squad. The move gave Hawkins a chance to get healthy and re-establish himself within an NFC East program. On January 5, 2026, he signed a reserve/futures contract with the Commanders, locking in his place on the offseason roster.
The Commanders’ defensive staff has leaned on Hawkins’s length and tackling ability as he works to carve out a role in the secondary and on special teams. His path back from the lumbar fracture he suffered with the Giants has been steady, and the organization views him as a developmental corner with starting upside.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hawkins is a long, physical cornerback whose 6 ft 3 in frame and 195-pound build allow him to match up with bigger receivers on the outside. He is at his best in press-man coverage, where his length disrupts release patterns at the line of scrimmage. He has also shown himself to be a reliable open-field tackler and a willing contributor on special-teams units, traits that helped him survive multiple rounds of NFL roster cuts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hawkins’s signature NFL moment remains his first career interception against Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints in Week 14 of the 2023 season. The pick not only ended a historic drought for the Giants but also announced Hawkins as a ball-hawking presence in the secondary before his injury prematurely ended his rookie year. Surviving that lumbar fracture and continuing his career in Washington marks another important milestone in his young résumé.
Tre Hawkins III Career Stats
Through his first NFL seasons, Tre Hawkins III has appeared in regular-season games for both the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders, lining up primarily at cornerback and on special teams. His role has grown from a rookie special-teams contributor to a developmental defensive piece on the Commanders’ practice squad and reserve list.
New York Giants Highlights
As a rookie with the Giants in 2023, Hawkins played in all 17 regular-season games and recorded 35 combined tackles along with his first career interception. He returned the following season and continued contributing on defense and special teams before being waived in late August 2025. His interception off Derek Carr and the resulting NFL-record-tying drought-breaker remain the defining Giants highlight of his career.
Other Performances
At Old Dominion, Hawkins posted 134 tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, 12 pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles across three seasons. Those numbers reflect a versatile defender who impacted the game in multiple ways and helped set the stage for his eventual NFL opportunity.
Tre Hawkins III Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Tre Hawkins III was raised in Temple, Texas, where he attended Temple High School and developed into a Division I-caliber football prospect. The strong football environment in his hometown and family community played an important role in his path to the sport.
Personal Life
Hawkins comes from a family with deep roots in Temple, Texas, and his given name, Larry, appears in his full legal name, Larry Tre Hawkins III. He is an American by nationality and continues to focus his public life on his professional football career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a turning point in Tre Hawkins III’s young career. After being waived by the New York Giants in late August, he signed with the Washington Commanders’ practice squad on November 5, 2025, providing a soft landing as he continued his recovery from the lumbar injury he first suffered in 2023. The Commanders offered him a chance to reset within a new defensive system and prove that his size and coverage skills still translated at the NFL level.
Although Hawkins spent the regular season on the practice squad, his steady progress in practice and in the meeting room earned him a reserve/futures contract on January 5, 2026. That deal locked him into the Commanders’ offseason roster and gave him a clear opportunity to compete for a role in 2026.
Looking ahead, Hawkins enters the next chapter of his career as a developmental cornerback whose combination of length, tackling, and special-teams value should keep him firmly in the mix. His interception against Derek Carr remains a reminder of the playmaking ceiling he has flashed when healthy, and the Commanders’ investment in his development suggests he will be a name to watch when full-team activities resume.