Revisiting true freshman QB Michael Hawkins Jr.'s high school football stats as he shines in Oklahoma's comeback against Hugh Freeze's Auburn

By Aman Sharma

Modified Sep 29, 2024 14:30 GMT

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True freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has taken the reins for the No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners, leading them to a thrilling comeback against Auburn on Saturday. Hawkins stepped in for Jackson Arnold, who had started Oklahoma’s first four games, making an immediate impact as the Sooners’ starter.

A product of Texas high school football, Hawkins attended both Allen High School and Emerson High School in Frisco. At Allen, he was named Texas District 5-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2021. In his junior year at Allen, Hawkins threw for 2,024 yards and racked up 21 touchdowns.

After transferring to Emerson High School for his final high school season, he accumulated 5,211 total yards and 55 touchdowns while maintaining an incredible 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

His senior performance earned him the 2023 District 3-5A Division II MVP honors and helped lead Emerson to the state semifinals.

Michael Hawkins' outstanding play also earned him a spot as a 2023 Elite 11 finalist and quarterback MVP at the Rivals Camp in Dallas. His accolades continued as he won the accuracy challenge at the Under Armour Next All-America Dallas camp.

Ultimately, he chose Oklahoma over powerhouse programs like Alabama, Arkansas and Michigan, continuing a family legacy as his father, Michael Hawkins Sr., also played for the Sooners before a career in the NFL.

Michael Hawkins Jr. shines as Oklahoma rallies for first SEC win against Auburn

The first career start of Michael Hawkins Jr., a 6-foot-1, 196-pound quarterback from Frisco, Texas, a true freshman, resulted in a splendid performance of 11 of 18 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown being the data. He also earned 22 yards on rushing, proving his elusiveness and ensuring Oklahoma beat Auburn 27-21 to stage a successful comeback.

"He's a tremendous athlete," coach Brent Venables said Saturday night. "There were several times there where we had edge pressure that we didn't block and he got outside of it. So he has some playmaking ability and he can hurt you with his legs."

Oklahoma, trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter, saw Kip Lewis return an interception 61 yards for the winning touchdown. The victory marked Oklahoma’s first Southeastern Conference win, and Venables called it his first experience with "Sooner Magic" as a coach.

“That was my first experience with Sooner Magic as a head coach,” Brent Venables said. “That was an amazing last four drives on offense and defense. ... We played our best ball when it mattered most.”

Michael Hawkins took control of the offense after replacing Jackson Arnold in the previous week’s loss to Tennessee. Against Auburn, Hawkins totaled 230 yards of offense, including a key 60-yard pass to J.J. Hester that set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Jovantae Barnes. Though the two-point conversion failed, it cut Auburn’s lead to 21-16 with just over eight minutes remaining.