West Virginia Set to Host Intriguing Transfer Quarterback

A name familiar to some Big 12 fans, Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., is set for a visit in Morgantown to check out the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Hawkins, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Dallas, Texas, has spent the last two seasons in Norman, seeing action in limited games in relief of Jackson Arnold and John Mateer.

This past season, Hawkins played just two games and preserved a redshirt. In outings against Temple and Kent State, the Texas native threw for 167 yards and three scores, while rushing for another 58 yards and a touchdown. He committed to Oklahoma in the Class of 2024 as one of the nation’s premier quarterback recruits. At the time of his commitment, Hawkins checked in as the nation’s 297th-ranked player, the 20th-ranked quarterback prospect in his class, and the 47th-ranked player in the state of Texas.

To put it simply, Rich Rodriguez’s quarterback room was really bad this fall. In terms of offensive production, the Mountaineers ranked 14th in the Big 12 in total yards per game, 15th in passing yards per game, and 14th in points scored. Adding a player of Hawkins’ caliber could be just the thing that West Virginia needs to get back on track.

Between the group’s top three passers, Scotty Fox, Nicco Marchiol, and Khalil Wilkins, the trio posted a combined season stat line of 183 completions, 2,181 passing yards, 57% completion percentage, and a touchdown to interception ratio of 10-10. That has to improve if West Virginia plans to win more than four games next year, and it all could start with Michael Hawkins Jr.’s arrival.