Former Oklahoma QB named starter for Big 12 school

Former Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will be with the West Virginia Mountaineers this season. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former Oklahoma QB named starter for Big 12 school

By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Aug 28, 2026 12:00 PM ET

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The Oklahoma Sooners are running it back with John Mateer as the starting quarterback. In the offseason, Michael Hawkins Jr. left and went into the transfer portal.

Hawkins then ended up at West Virginia, and he is now the starting QB for the Mountaineers.

Pete Nakos of On3 reported on Friday that Hawkins was expected to be named the starter for West Virginia.

Hawkins beat out Scotty Fox Jr., who played in nine games as a true freshman in 2025 for West Virginia.

Hawkins played in six games for Oklahoma in 2024, throwing for 536 yards with 1 touchdown and a pair of interceptions.

He then played in just two games last season, throwing 3 touchdowns for 167 yards.

I’m excited to see Michael Hawkins in the WVU offense.

The kid has all the tools and talent in the world. His passing needs to be tuned up… but the talent is there. If he unlocks that dual-threat ceiling consistently, the Big 12 better watch out.@WVUfootball…
— Jon (@JonScast) August 25, 2026

Fox, who will start the year as West Virginia's backup, went 101-of-170 for 1,276 yards with 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He led West Virginia to an upset win over Houston, which was ranked No. 22 at the time.

However, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez used four different QBs during the season, and they finished the year with a 4-8 record and a 2-7 mark in Big 12 play, so they are hoping to turn that around.

Hawkins' first start for West Virginia will come against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 5 in Morgantown.

Matt Wadleigh

Matt Wadleigh is based in California and born and raised in the San Diego area. He studied print journalism at Fresno State for college and got to watch Paul George, Derek Carr and Davante Adams play in a Bulldogs uniform. His work has been featured at ClutchPoints, Sportscasting, Sporting News, and various USA Today sites, including UCLA Wire, where he was the first managing editor

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