Tag: michael hawkins

Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback still growing as a leader

Jackson Arnold is not a finished product as a player on the field but it’s an area off the field where he thinks he’s made the most growth.

Spring practice is just a few days away from coming to a close as it will conclude with the spring game this weekend. There have been quite a bit of questions this spring about where the offense is at and who will win some of the starting jobs.

The one position where there isn’t much controversy is quarterback. We know this is [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s team going forward. It is encouraging to hear the great reports about [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and knowing a veteran like [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] is there as well but this is Arnold’s job.

Arnold spoke after practice on Tuesday about how much he’s grown over this spring. “I feel like I’ve stepped up as a leader a lot more,” Arnold said. “I’ve got a lot more comfortable with this offense, the decision-making process, just all of the above. I’ve become a better player overall this spring.”

For Arnold and any of the quarterbacks who take a snap this year, it might not matter how far they’ve come if the offensive line doesn’t figure things out.

Arnold talked about what he’s seen from the offensive line this spring. “I’m really proud of those guys,” Arnold said. “They’ve really stepped up this spring. We’ve got a lot of guys injured, and a lot of different guys have had to step up to a starter role. I feel like they’ve done a great job so far. They’ve been competing their butts off this past couple of weeks. I’m super proud of them.”

Sooner fans will get to see Arnold and the offensive line in action for the first time during the Spring game this weekend.

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Davon Mitchell one of CBS Sports ‘freshmen to watch’ in Spring Game season

CBS Sports Shehan Jeyarajah includes Davon Mitchell among CBS Sports freshmen to watch during spring game season.

The Oklahoma Sooners have several freshmen who have created a lot of buzz in spring ball. [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], and [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag] have turned heads with what they accomplished during winter workouts and on the defensive side of the practice field.

On offense, [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] has impressed. And so has his good friend and fellow freshman, [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag]. Though he may not be working as a starter right now, he’s shown out with his size and ability. With just under two weeks to the Oklahoma Sooners spring game, CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah pointed to Mitchell as a freshman to watch in spring game season.

The Sooners have several tight ends on the roster, but early returns of Mitchell have been off the charts. Originally a member of the Class of 2025, Mitchell reclassified down a year and has already made an impact. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, he already boasts the requisite frame and strength to play in the SEC. While snaps may not come early, Mitchell is the future of the position at OU. – Jeyarajah, CBS Sports

Mitchell has created a lot of buzz in spring camp with his ready-for-college size and his ability in the passing game. At the moment, it sounds like he’s working in a rotational role at tight end, but because of his ability, he should see snaps in the passing game during the 2024 season.

The number of snaps is still to be determined. In addition, Bauer Sharp has been impressed with his play style and leadership qualities.

Mitchell has all of the traits to be really good at the collegiate level and his time is certainly coming. Like many of the signees in the 2024 recruiting class, he has the right mindset and demeanor to push for an impactful role as a true freshman. The Sooners spring game will be the first opportunity to see what the future of the position will look like.

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All in the Family: Sooners land commitment from 4-star DB Maliek Hawkins

Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from four-star cornerback Maliek Hawkins.

The Oklahoma Sooners like to keep it in the family. Last year, the Sooners added the Dasan and Daeh McCullough. This year, the roster will feature Peyton and Eli Bowen. Next year, joining the Bowens, the Sooners will have the Hawkins brothers after Maliek Hawkins committed to the Sooners 2025 recruiting class.

The four-star cornerback, according to Rivals and On3’s Industry Rankings committed to Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Hawkins’ is the younger brother of Sooners freshman quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag].

The younger Hawkins is a talented athlete who will earn his keep on defense. There, he can showcase his elite athleticism and versatility to play multiple spots in the secondary. He’s got great size for the position at 6-foot-1 and displays great change of direction ability, necessary when covering wide receivers in the open field. But he isn’t simply an athlete, Maliek Hawkins is aggressive at the point of attack, bringing a physicality on the outside.

 

From the moment the Sooners were interested in Michael, they became similarly interested in Maliek. From there, the rest took care of itself. It helps that their father, Mike, also played for the Sooners under Brent Venables and Bob Stoops.

In a nutshell, this recruitment was likely to end only one way.  Predictions had been flowing in for Oklahoma to land Maliek Hawkins since last March, which isn’t a coincidence. That’s when Michael committed to Oklahoma. Oklahoma earned Maliek’s commitment over the Texas Longhorns, Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

With Hawkins in the class, Oklahoma has its second commitment in the secondary, joining three-star safety [autotag]Marcus Wimberly[/autotag].  Hawkins gives Oklahoma its 12th commit of the 2025 class, currently ranked 6th in the country per 247Sports.

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Oklahoma Sooners land prediction for 2025 4-star cornerback Maliek Hawkins

The Sooners will soon find out their fate for a talented cornerback in the 2025 class.

This week could be a huge week for the Oklahoma Sooners and their 2025 recruiting efforts. Just a few days ago, the Sooners earned a commitment from Marcus Wimberly. Now Oklahoma’s hoping to land the commitment of two other highly-touted players on Wednesday.

Four-star cornerback [autotag]Maliek Hawkins[/autotag] is set to announce his commitment on Wednesday. Hawkins is the brother of current Oklahoma quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag].

But just one day before announcing his commitment, the Sooners received a prediction in their favor for Hawkins from 247Sports National Analyst Mike Roach.

The Sooners hold a commanding lead for his services, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. They have a 99.1% chance of landing Hawkins, according to On3, with the Texas Longhorns in second place with a less than 1% chance.

Landing Hawkins would be huge for [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] and the staff. He has really good size at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds already. He also competes in track and field. He recorded a 23.96 200-meter dash and a hit 21-3.5 in the long jump earlier this year as a junior. He also had a long jump of 20-2.25 as a sophomore.

Hawkins has legit speed and athleticism to be a difference maker at the collegiate level at corner and he knows what it takes to be successful as well. His dad, Mike Hawkins, also played at Oklahoma and then had a five-year NFL career as a cornerback.

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Brent Venables says Sooners quarterback room in best position since his arrival to Norman

“We’re in the best position that we’ve been in since we’ve been here.” Brent Venables likes what he sees from the Oklahoma Sooners quarterback group.

The last two years have been the [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] show under center at the University of Oklahoma. But now we are heading into a new era, the [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] era.

The last time we saw Arnold in action, he had one month to prepare against a really good team with a new playcaller. He made some plays that made you say, “Wow” but he also made some plays that left you scratching your head. It was a very typical first start for a true freshman.

While most want to focus on the three interceptions, he also threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on five carries if you take out the sacks.

Now Arnold has an entire offseason to prepare to be the Sooners starter on their way into the SEC.

But it’s not just him that’s impressed the coaches this offseason. Brent Venables shared with the media what he’s seen from his group of gunslingers.

“The whole position is doing really good,” Venables said. “[autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] has gotten lots of reps, too. But between Jackson, Mike (Hawkins), Brendan, and (General) Booty, Casey’s (Thompson) taking every mental rep. He’s right there next to me when we’ve got the team settings. I feel great. We’re in the best position that we’ve been in since we’ve been here.”

That has coincided with a lot of what we’ve heard about how impressive Hawkins has been this spring. A lot of people were worried about the depth there because Arnold only has started one game and Thompson has the only real experience but is coming off an ACL injury.

Venables’ words say a lot about the quarterback situation. There’s a lot of talent there, and in just a few months, Arnold and the rest of the quarterbacks will have a chance to prove it.

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Sooners 2026 QB target Dereon Coleman set for an unofficial visit to Norman

QB prospect Dereon Coleman set for unofficial visit to Norman.

Oklahoma’s top quarterback target for the class of 2026 is four-star prospect [autotag]Dereon Coleman[/autotag]. The talented signal-caller will be making an unofficial visit to Norman.

In a post on his social media page, Coleman announced he would visit April 11 and 12.

This is significant as the Sooners have already received multiple predictions in favor of Coleman to land with Oklahoma. So, getting him in the building should truly only add to the lead that Oklahoma may already have.

 

Oklahoma has plenty of quarterback depth on the roster right now. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] takes over as the starter in 2024 and will likely hold the job through at least the 2025 season. Following Arnold, [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] will have the first crack at the starting job and current commit [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] is expected to join the roster next spring.

Coleman seems to be the Sooners’ number one focus at the position for 2026. He grew up an OU fan, so in many ways, this may be the perfect fit.

Aside from Oklahoma, Coleman is being recruited heavily by Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and USF.

As it stands, Oklahoma has just one commit in the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag]: four-star running back [autotag]Jonathon Hatton[/autotag].

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Best photos from latest Oklahoma Sooners spring practice

Spring ball is heating up and here are the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners latest spring practice.

Spring practice is in full throttle as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for the 2024 college football season. There are a number of intriguing storylines to watch this spring with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] taking over at quarterback and the turnover along the offensive line.

The newcomers are making a strong impression on the media in attendance. [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] have stood out in the passing game as Arnold gets acclimated to life as the starting quarterback.

Defensively, true freshmen [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] have mixed in with the first-team defense and looked good in the early going.

There are a number of players that the team is taking precautions with on the injury front, so it’s hard to know who exactly is leading the way in the most high-profile position battles.

What we do know is that this is a deeper team than what the Sooners took into the spring a year ago, especially at wide receiver, defensive back, and linebacker. The competitive depth across the board is better this spring than in any year of the [autotag]Brent Venable[/autotag]s era at Oklahoma, which should serve the team well as they try to work out their depth chart.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Sooners most recent spring practice.

‘It’s a really tough group of guys’: Brent Venables impressed by the early enrollees

Brent Venables has been impressed by the class of 2024 early enrollees.

Spring football is finally here in Oklahoma. Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] kicked things off with a media session on Wednesday along with all of the newcomers both from the portal and the 2024 recruiting class.

Spring practice starts on Monday with the spring game coming in April 20, 2024.

Still, there is a lot of work to be done from now until the start of the season. Whether that’s getting some guys back who were injured last season like [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] or [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] or if it’s replacing someone who had to call it a career in Jacob Lacey. There are also a ton of position battles still to go through as well.

Venables talked about how impressed he’s been with the 22 early enrollees. “It’s a really tough group of guys,” Venables said. “The mental toughness that I watched the last eight weeks is exemplary. It’s fantastic. Nobody shied away. These guys were prepared for the challenge that this entails. It was never easy for any of them but these guys were fearless.”

This class is arguably the best in the Venables era with the elite defensive players they were able to sign along with some stellar offensive guys as well. This only adds to that belief.

Now, the question is how many of those guys will be ready to make an impact in Year 1? Only time will tell.

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Sooners DB target Maliek Hawkins drops top 5, plans to commit early April

Sooners cornerback target and four-star prospect, Maliek Hawkins, announces commitment timeline, releases top 5..

Flowers are blooming, the sun is out, and the temperatures are starting to heat up across the country. Spring football is on the horizon for Oklahoma football, and the Sooners are getting more clarity about their recruiting targets off the field.

One of those targets,  2025 DB [autotag]Maliek Hawkins[/autotag], has narrowed down his recruitment and is planning to announce his decision in early April. Hawkins announced on his social media pages on Saturday afternoon.

Hawkins, the younger brother of Oklahoma freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., has narrowed his schools to Mississippi State, Arkansas, Texas State, Texas, and the Sooners.

Mississippi State is now led by Jeff Lebby, who has strong ties to the Hawkins family. via Lebby recruited Michael during his tenure as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. It’s unlikely that the Bulldogs will be the choice. The same goes for Arkansas and Texas State. Leaving the Sooners and Longhorns set to duke it out again for another Texas-based recruit.

This feels like Oklahoma’s recruitment to lose. The ties to Oklahoma are strong. Maliek’s father Mike played for Brent Venables in the early 2000s and his older brother Michael joined the Sooners this spring.

The Sooners have also been pushing for the younger Hawkins brother for years. The Sooners have long been the favorite in his recruitment with predictions dating back to last March.

The Sooners have to close are the clear frontrunners, but have to continue to recruit the athletic and tenacious four-star cornerback.

As it stands, the Sooners are No. 5 in the country in team recruiting in the class of 2025. A Hawkins commitment would also give them their first secondary commitment of the cycle.

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Sooners pick up Rivals futurecast for 2026 quarterback Dereon Coleman

The Oklahoma Sooners received a Rivals Futurecast for 2026 QB Dereon Coleman.

When Jeff Lebby took over the offense for the Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables made it abundantly clear Lincoln Riley’s previous strategy of taking a quarterback every other year would no longer fly. Since then, the Sooners have replenished the quarterback cupboard with talent every year. At least two new quarterbacks joined the program via the high school ranks or transfer portal each year.

As Oklahoma heads into the 2024 season, it legitimately has three scholarship quarterbacks. Jackson Arnold leads the way for 2023, but the Sooners welcome two quarterbacks from the 2024 recruiting class: four-star [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag]. [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] is already committed to 2025, and the Sooners are pivoting to 2026.

This winter, they’ve offered a couple of the top quarterbacks in the cycle: Jared Curtis and Faizon Brandon. Joining the list of signal callers the Sooners have offered in 2026 is Dereon Coleman out of Orlando, Florida. That Oklahoma offer has seemingly moved the needle for Coleman so much that OUInsider’s and Rivals recruiting analyst Parker Thune issued a futurecast favoring the Sooners Thursday evening.

Coleman is a smaller quarterback prospect, standing at six feet. He throws a nice tight spiral and showcases some arm strength, ripping passes over the middle of the field. He also showed the ability to buy time with his athleticism while simultaneously looking down the field to make plays with his arm.

Coleman is a solid prospect, and it will behoove many not to sleep on him as he continues to grow and improve. He isn’t rated for the 2026 cycle, but with Oklahoma, Arkansas, SMU, Ole Miss and Nebraska in pursuit, it’s only a matter of time until he receives an evaluation from the recruiting services.

Dereon Coleman’s Recruiting Profile

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