Michael Hawkins Jr., QB
Let’s keep it short and sweet: Michael Hawkins Jr. is a gamer.
There isn’t a more apt explanation for who Hawkins is as a football player. He demonstrates the ability to give Oklahoma a chance to win ball games.
Sure, he threw for just 161 yards, but he used his feet for an electric 48-yard touchdown to open the game and used those same feet to extend plays throughout the game. It’s a different element teams have to respect, and with each snap he takes, it could be the difference in opening up this offense more and more as he gets more comfortable in the pocket and this offensive line continues to gel.
But beyond his legs, Hawkins showed off his big-time passing potential on a 60-yard completion to J.J. Hester midway through the fourth quarter. The longest pass play of the season set up Jovantae Barnes’ touchdown run at the goalline to put the Sooners within five and made it a whole new ball game.
For the second game in a row, Hawkins showed resiliency and toughness throughout. He showed that the moment isn’t too much for him, even on the road in his first collegiate start.
After Kip Lewis’ pick-six, Hawkins put his will to win on display on the two-point conversion attempt. The passing concept wasn’t there for him after the snap, so he looked for room to run. Under pressure, he scrambled to his right and took off for the pilon. And just like last week against Tennessee, Hawkins took flight and was hit hard, helicoptering the freshman quarterback through the air. But unlike last week where he was ruled down just inches before the goalline, Hawkins landed in the end zone to give the Sooners a critical three-point lead with just 4:31 to play.
It’s still early in Hawkins’ career, but he’s shown the mental makeup of a veteran signal caller. He has the skillset to be great for the Sooners. What’s scary is he’s only going to keep getting better.
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