The Oklahoma Sooners have long been a place where quarterbacks find success. That’s in part due to the offenses that the Sooners playcallers have put on the field, but also because the university attracts some of the nation’s best quarterbacks.
In the [autotag]Alamo Bow[/autotag]l, we’ll get to see [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] make his first start, but Oklahoma’s quarterback future goes beyond Arnold. The Sooners added two quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class, [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag].
Hawkins, it could be argued, was severely underrated in the 2024 recruiting class as he showed off a number of tools that will make him successful at the collegiate level. 247Sports and On3 were lower than ESPN and Rivals on the Oklahoma legacy, where he was considered a four-star prospect in the 2024 cycle.
It’s the dual-threat nature of Hawkins’ game that has Todd Luginbill of ESPN (ESPN+) excited for his future with the Sooners.
Hawkins is going to be a dynamic runner for the Sooners. He has a live arm but is not a classic passer. He timed at 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash in 2021 and now runs 4.6. If Oklahoma and new OC Seth Littrell want to really challenge defenses with a running QB, Hawkins fits the bill. – Tom Luginbill, ESPN
At a camp at SMU back in 2021, Hawkins posted a time of 4.43 in the 40-yard dash.
There’s no telling at what point Hawkins could see the field. It could very well be in 2024 as he’s gotten a jump start on his Oklahoma Sooners career, joining the team for Alamo Bowl practices. But when he does, you can bet, he’ll put a lot of stress on the defense with his ability to beat teams with his legs.
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