The Oklahoma Sooners made a quarterback switch just four weeks into the 2024 season. Sophomore [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] had been the heir apparent to the departed Dillon Gabriel, but after a shaky first three games, Arnold looked overwhelmed in OU’s loss to Tennessee. During the offseason, the talk was about getting Arnold developed, but a month into the season, the narrative changed drastically. Some of that is on Arnold, but a lot of it isn’t.
However, three first half turnovers from Arnold in week four forced head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] to pull his starter and insert freshman [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] into the game. The youngster settled in against the Volunteers and moved the ball in the late stages of the game, earning his first career start against Auburn the following week.
Though Hawkins’ stats against Auburn weren’t anything to write home about, he was impressive in the face of pressure and made big-time plays, serving as one of the undeniable heroes of OU’s comeback road win. He’s done more than enough to stay as the starter for next week’s game against Texas, and if he continues to play well, take care of the ball, and develop, he’ll likely be the guy for the rest of the season.
But who is Michael Hawkins Jr.?
Everyone expected he’d be Arnold’s backup for at least the next two seasons, but his time in the spotlight has come early. He has an opportunity to start a lot of games in Norman over the next few years if he can help turn this offense around in the lion’s den of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].
Hawkins’ father, Michael Sr., played cornerback at Oklahoma in 2002 before leaving to play for the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2005 as a fifth-round selection. He also played for the Browns, Vikings, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Raiders from 2006 to 2009.
Michael Jr. played at Allen High School, the former home of Kyler Murray. For his senior season, Hawkins switched to Frisco Emerson High School, leading his team on a deep playoff run in 2023. According to MaxPreps, during his senior season, he accounted for 3,039 passing yards with 41 touchdowns through the air and 1,192 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns on the ground.
As a star at both schools, he earned a four-star ranking from 247Sports Composite. He held notable offers from schools like Alabama, Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska, TCU, and Missouri but committed to OU on April 8th, 2023. His decision came down to the Sooners and the hometown Horned Frogs (after Kendal Briles made the move to Fort Worth), but his dad’s alma mater won out in the end. He signed with the Sooners that December and enrolled early in January as a part of the 2024 recruiting class.
Though he committed to play for former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, he never got to be coached by the current head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He stayed committed to new co-offensive coordinators [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag], and arrived on campus in a battle to back up Arnold. Hawkins beat out [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] to become QB2, offering an intriguing glimpse of the future with his dual-threat capabilities.
In both spring ball and fall camp, there was buzz about Hawkins’ abilities on the practice field.
Mike was raised in the NFL locker room always seen the BEST of the BEST and understood what was the standard. I told everyone they really won't get how good Mike is until he is gets to Norman. You guys don't understand how much time Mike and I have spent building his mental and… pic.twitter.com/rL1FdkdaNn
— MHawk (@HawkIcanNfl) April 3, 2024
In 2024, Hawkins has completed 62.2% of his passes for 310 yards and a touchdown. He’s also ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. He showed off his big arm on the 60-yard completion to J.J. Hester and his great speed and athleticism during his first six quarters. And as important as that, he’s shown that the moment isn’t too big for him.
The Sooners have a date with the No. 1 team in the nation coming next Saturday, and they’ll need every bit of Hawkins’ abilities to shine on that day in Dallas.
Hawkins will become the first true freshman quarterback to start for Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout and provides a very exciting look ahead to what Sooner Nation hopes to see out of the quarterback position.
Fixing OU’s offensive problems isn’t all on Hawkins’ shoulders, nor should they be. The problems may not be fixable this season or even with the current coordinators. However, if OU can find more consistency in moving the football with some explosive plays mixed in, the country could be in for some trouble.
And it could be Michael Hawkins Jr. who is the face of it all.
Watch: OU Football interviews Michael Hawkins Jr.
Meet Mike 🤝@mikehawkinsj | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/twQJYoUDhp
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 4, 2024
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