West Virginia’s quarterback room has a clear headliner in Mike Hawkins Jr., but the long view is starting to look just as interesting.
Hawkins has been playing at a level that puts him among the nation’s best, and he still has two more years of eligibility left. That gives the Mountaineers time to keep building around him while also bringing along true freshman Jyron Hughley, who could eventually be the next man up once Hawkins moves on.
That’s the part WVU quarterbacks coach Rhett Rodriguez is clearly excited about. Asked about Hughley’s development on the coach’s show earlier this week, Rodriguez didn’t hold back on the freshman’s upside.
"I think he's really special with the ball in his hands. He might be one of the fastest guys on the team, period," Rodriguez stated.
"So I know once he gets out there, he's a true freshman, so there's still some room to grow, especially in his footwork and mechanics as a passer, but he's got what you can't teach, which is just a dynamic athlete out there running. And I have no doubt that once he gets another year in the system too that he can be pretty scary to defend."
For a player who might not see the field unless injury chaos hits, Hughley hasn’t been handled like a typical third-string quarterback. Instead of spending most of his time on the scout team, he’s remained with the offense, and Rodriguez said that was a deliberate choice.
"He's still with the offense," Rodriguez said. "We kind of went back and forth between is it better for him to go down there and get some scout team reps or is it better for him to kind of watch and see Mike (Hawkins) and Scotty (Fox) get some of those reps.
He's been mainly down with the offense, and he'll still get some reps too as well. We try to rotate some guys in there, obviously not quite as much as Mike and Scotty, but I think it's been a great year for him to kind of watch and see what it's supposed to look like."
Hughley brings the kind of running ability that can change a defense’s plan in a hurry, but his development as a passer is still the work in progress. He completed 67% of his throws as a senior, yet consistency in the passing game remains the main focus.
For now, though, he’s learning behind one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and West Virginia clearly likes the trajectory.
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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
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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 🡒]