While Oklahoma has been watching John Mateer struggle, two former Sooners are suddenly making noise somewhere else. Michael Hawkins is flashing big-time production at West Virginia, and Jackson Arnold has settled in nicely at UNLV.
Hawkins put together a monster performance last week in a 45-42 win over Cincinnati, throwing for 464 yards and three touchdowns while adding 77 rushing yards and two more scores. He also guided the Mountaineers on the late drive that set up the game-winning field goal in the closing seconds.
The sophomore’s season numbers jump off the page. He has thrown for 1,519 yards and 10 touchdowns with only one interception, and he has been just as dangerous on the ground, piling up 749 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
That touchdown total leads the nation, and his rushing yardage ranks 10th nationally. He has topped 100 rushing yards in four of his seven games.
Hawkins had 783 passing yards and 204 rushing yards at Oklahoma in 2024. Last season, he was Mateer’s backup after Mateer arrived with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle from Washington State.
Now, Hawkins has become one of the Big 12’s top players, and West Virginia is sitting at 4-3 with a realistic path to bowl eligibility.
Arnold’s turnaround at UNLV has been just as noticeable. The former five-star didn’t find lasting success at Oklahoma, where he opened 2024 as the starter, lost the job to Hawkins, won it back, and then transferred. He followed that with a mediocre season at Auburn before landing at UNLV.
This stop has gone much better. Arnold has passed for 1,386 yards and 10 touchdowns against two interceptions, while also running for 408 yards and six touchdowns. In last week’s 41-31 win over Air Force, he threw for 246 yards and two scores and added 78 rushing yards and another touchdown.
Like West Virginia, UNLV is 4-3.
In Other News...
TCU Is Bracing For A Very Different WVU Defense
TCU is spending the week preparing for a West Virginia team that looks different on both sides of the ball than what the Horned Frogs may have seen earlier this season. In his pregame press conference, Sonny Dykes pointed to a Mountaineers offense that can push the tempo, threaten defenses on the ground and through the air, and force opponents to play fast without much breathing room.
What has also caught TCUs attention is the shape of West Virginias defense. Dykes described it as young, but still physical and aggressive, the kind of unit that can create problems even when the numbers have not always shown it consistently. Michael Hawkins Jr. also came up as a player the Frogs will have to account for, with Dykes calling him athletic and difficult to defend, another reminder that this matchup comes with more moving parts than a simple glance at the standings might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Cooks Next Decision Could Change West Virginias 2026 Outlook
Mike Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook have given West Virginia a look that feels familiar in the best possible way, with the quarterbacks dual-threat production and Cooks steady surge on the ground drawing obvious comparisons to the Pat White and Steve Slaton era. Hawkins has more than 1,500 passing yards and 700 rushing yards, while Cook has climbed to fifth nationally in rushing yards, giving the Mountaineers a backfield pairing that has made the offense harder to defend and the future easier to imagine.
Cooks next move may end up shaping more than just his own draft stock. He could return for another college season, but he is also drawing attention as a possible day-three NFL pick, and the evaluation around him is not clean-cut thanks to questions about age, workload and speed. For West Virginia, the decision matters because keeping that kind of backfield threat intact would go a long way toward defining what the 2026 offense can become. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces A Familiar Threat In A Game It Must Exploit
West Virginia finally broke through last week with a win over Cincinnati, and it did so with an offense that has become a lot more dangerous when quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is involved. His dual-threat ability has given the Mountaineers a different kind of rhythm, and running back Cam Cook, a transfer with stops at TCU and Jacksonville State, has added another layer by giving the ground game more punch.
The problem is that the defense has not been able to match the offensive uptick. West Virginia sits last in the Big 12 in both scoring defense and total defense, which leaves little margin for error no matter how well Hawkins and Cook are playing. For a team trying to build on a much-needed win, that imbalance is the real issue hanging over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]