West Virginia’s Mike Hawkins Jr. keeps stacking up the kind of days that get noticed far beyond Morgantown.
For the second time this season, the Mountaineers quarterback was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week. And for the second time this year, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden singled him out too, handing out a helmet sticker after Hawkins’ huge Week 7 showing against Cincinnati.
Gruden’s praise came with no shortage of fireworks.
“What a dual-threat beast he is. He just threw for 464 yards, three touchdowns.
He ran for 77 and two more touchdowns. That’s 541 yards of total offense in one game.
This guy is a nightmare. I mean, on the season, he’s thrown for 1,519 yards, 10 touchdowns, one pick, and he’s rushed for 14 touchdowns and 749 yards.
The ex-Oklahoma Sooner, Michael Hawkins. Is this how you make a Heisman pose?
Michael Hawkins! Let’s give this guy his due.”
The sticker list also included five other quarterbacks Gruden said “showed OUT this weekend,” with Hawkins joined by BYU’s Bear Bachmeier, UTSA’s Owen McCown, Florida’s Tramell Jones and Army’s Cale Hellums.
As for the Heisman Trophy chatter, it’s still not realistic this season. West Virginia simply isn’t in the kind of position to win enough games for Hawkins to crash that race.
The one exception would be the “unthinkable” scenario where the Mountaineers clean up their defense, win out and finish 9-3. In that case, the argument changes fast.
The bigger conversation, at least for now, is 2027.
That’s when the Heisman talk could get serious, assuming Hawkins is still at West Virginia. Teams are expected to take a close look at him after the season, but the source of the optimism is clear: Hawkins likes it at WVU, has a strong relationship with Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff, and fits the system well. The expectation is that West Virginia will try to keep him on a multi-year deal.
If he stays, the ceiling only gets higher. With most of the offense expected back and even an average defense, the Mountaineers should be winning games. And Hawkins, already producing eye-popping numbers, could be on a much bigger stage once he has another year in the system and a second offseason to build on it.
In Other News...
Former Oklahoma QBs Are Creating An Uncomfortable Reminder For Sooners Fans
Michael Hawkins has given West Virginia a jolt this season, and for anyone watching from Norman, there is a familiar sting to the way he has done it. The former Oklahoma quarterback has been productive as a passer and as a runner, even leading the nation in rushing touchdowns, while helping the Mountaineers stay in the thick of things at 4-3.
The reminder gets a little more uncomfortable when Jackson Arnold enters the picture. Another former Sooners quarterback, Arnold has also found his footing at UNLV with solid work through the air and on the ground, and he has played a part in the Rebels' recent success as well. For Oklahoma fans, seeing both quarterbacks move on and win elsewhere is the kind of storyline that lingers long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]