Can Freshman Michael Hawkins Keep Oklahoma's QB Streak Alive vs. Texas?

Coaches and teammates like his poise and maturity, opponents fear his athletic ability, but now Hawkins steps into an entirely new setting: the Red River Rivalry.

Oklahoma Sooners Michael Hawkins / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

NORMAN — Michael Hawkins will make history on Saturday.

But only history knows if Hawkins is ready for his big moment.

When Oklahoma and Texas meet for the 120th time in their annual fistfight at the Cotton Bowl, Hawkins will be the first Sooner QB to start against the Longhorns as a true freshman.

Of the OU quarterbacks who started the first 119 games against the Longhorns, none were fresh out of high school like Hawkins is.

Is Hawkins ready? Is he prepared to return to his hometown of Dallas and take on his school’s biggest rival? Is he ready to reach into the OU-Texas fire and cool down the burnt orange half of the stadium?

But most of all, is Hawkins ready to make plays against the No. 1 team in college football?

OU is 4-1 overall, 1-1 in Southeastern Conference play, and ranked No. 18. Texas is 5-0, 1-0 and — all apologies to defending national champion Michigan and their completely rebuilt squad — hasn’t really faced an imposing trial yet.

Not like they’re going to face Saturday at the State Fair of Texas.

“It’s a big game,” Hawkins said. “But it’s the same preparation as we do every game.

“It means a lot just knowing, going to be a big stage. It’s my first time playing in this stadium and against this team, too. So this is a big moment for me, and just trying to take advantage of it and maximize the opportunity I have.” 

To head coach Brent Venables, it’s not unlike the scenario Hawkins found himself in just last week.

“It would be just like going on the road (for) the first time as a true freshman quarterback … and getting a win as a true freshman,” Venables said, referring to Hawkins’ first career start in last week’s win at Auburn. “It would be the same thing.”

The OU-Texas game used to be a tough place for a quarterback doing just about anything for the first time — but especially if his counterpart was more seasoned.

For nearly three decades, from 1990-2018, quarterbacks who didn’t have any experience in the Red River Rivalry had almost no chance if the other team’s QB had played in the game before.

But Oklahoma has bucked that trend for three years running now.

* Dillon Gabriel’s Red River Rivalry debut against Quinn Ewers last year resulted in a 34-30 OU victory.
* In 2020, Spencer Rattler made his OU-Texas debut against Sam Ehlinger and came away with a 53-45 Sooner victory.
* And in 2019, after Jalen Hurts brazenly told me after beating Kansas, “I’ve played in the Iron Bowl. ... I think I’ll be all right,” he beat Ehlinger and the Longhorns 34-27.

And Hurts was right.

The transfer portal and the early career ascension of young college quarterbacks have changed the importance of a QBs experience in this particular game. It still counts, of course, but it’s no longer an all-or-nothing venture. Between Steve Collins in 1990 and Hurts in 2019, QBs who hadn’t played in the shootout before were 2-14-1 against QBs who had.

Now, with Hurts, Rattler and Gabriel all facing a quarterback who played in the game previously, the “less-experienced” QB (at least in this game) has won three in a row.

If Hawkins makes it four in a row, he’ll do so against a quarterback who’s already played against the Sooners twice, and one who was a Heisman frontrunner when the season began: Ewers.

Hawkins’ teammates think he also has the right stuff — even as a true freshman.

“He’s handled it with a first-class mentality,” senior tight end Jake Roberts said. “Mike’s a soft-spoken guy. Not a lot has changed with his approach. He’s the same guy every day and he’s showing up and doing great work.

“I think he’s really embraced it and really stepped into more of a vocal leadership role. I think he’s doing a great job and kind of preparing like any other week, and he’s just being himself.”

“I would say he’s focused,” said offensive lineman Jacob Sexton. “Very intentional with his focus. As an offensive line, we’re doing our best to make sure he’s not feeling any pressure and can sit back there comfortably.”

Hawkins trained as a youth under Kevin Murray — Kyler Murray’s dad and a long-time accomplished QB trainer — and came of age playing for Chad Morris at Allen, TX. Hd then transferred to Emerson High School in Frisco, TX, virtually a brand new program, and led them to the Texas 5A semifinals with an astounding statistical year: 4,211 yards total offense and 55 total touchdowns with just three interceptions.

As a 4-star prospect, Hawkins was an Elite 11 finalist, Rivals Camp MVP and Under Armour Camp accuracy champion. With offers from Alabama, Michigan, Arkansas, Nebraska, Penn State and others, he signed with OU last December even though it seemed Jackson Arnold would have a firm grip on the starting job in at least 2024 and 2025. But Hawkins enrolled in January and came to spring practice with a firm mindset and a fearless attitude — immediately winning the backup QB job. He had a strong spring, worked hard and stayed engaged with his teammates all summer, and then by all accounts had a spectacular training camp.

When Arnold stumbled to start the season, and then gave the football away three times in what would become a loss to Tennessee in the Sooners’ SEC debut, Venables was faced with a tough but obvious decision: he had to give Hawkins a try.

Hawkins led the Sooners to two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 25-15 loss, then had a 48-yard touchdown run to open his SEC road debut last week, followed by a 60-yard bomb to set up a TD and an acrobatic 2-point conversion in a furious fourth quarter comeback that led OU to a 27-21 win at Auburn.

Hawkins said he gets his calm and poise from one source — one who also played for the Sooners against the Longhorns a generation ago: Mike Hawkins Sr.

“Ever since I grew up, he’s always put me in like, situations (where) just, there’s a ton of adversity I need to overcome,” Hawkins said. “So I’ve always been calm growing up. And trying to learn to be calm in my childhood and even in high school. So he’s been a big part of that.

“Even my mom, too.” 

Which also helps explain why Hawkins’ younger brother, Maliek Hawkins, is committed to OU as a 2025 defensive back. Football just runs in the family.

Opposing coaches have certainly taken notice of Hawkins’ precocious abilities.

“Runs around,” said Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, “makes plays with his feet as much as he does his arm.”

“I think what Michael Hawkins does is he does provide that element of, yeah, they can throw it, they can run it with designed runs, but his first touchdown there against Auburn was a pass that he tucked it and took off and ran,” said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. “And so that’s where we’ve got to be really cognizant of him in the pocket, that, yeah, we want to try to get to the quarterback, but our rush lanes are really critical in this game, because when he pulls it, it’s not to get four or five or six yards. I mean, he went 50 for a touchdown against Auburn. So we got to be really mindful of his ability to extend plays and then create explosives with with his legs.”

Even the OU defense has noticed a special quality in their new quarterback.

“To say the least, I'm a major observer,” said linebacker Kobie McKinzie. “And since Mike got here in the spring, just the way he carried himself and the way that he goes about his business, he is literally close to none. He’s one of those guys like, ‘Oh, that’s what you do as quarterback. That’s what you do.’ He’s a really good player. He’s impressed me literally since the day I met him, since the first day I saw him take snaps. He’s literally impressed me.”

McKinzie characterized Hawkins’ demeanor as “non traditional in a quarterback. Like, there’s no reaction. Like, he just brushes it off. It’s weird. It’s truly weird. You see any other quarterback, on Sundays and Saturdays, they make a mistake, it literally looks like their world just ended. He’s like, ‘OK. Next play. I messed up. OK. Next play.’ Seriously. He literally looks the same every series. The dude literally got helicoptered and got up and celebrated. I mean, he’s a good player.”

And it’s not just his poise and athletic ability, McKinzie said.

“He’s been vocal since he got here,” McKinzie said. “I’m telling you. He’s a freshman who’s been vocal since he got here. He literally doesn’t take a back seat. Really good player.”

McKinzie said Hawkins reminds him of another Dallas-area prospect who broke into the starting lineup early in his career and assumed a leadership position: Billy Bowman.

“He’s like Billy. Best I can give it to you,” McKinzie said. “Doesn’t say a lot but when he says something, you’re like, ‘OK, I got you.’ “

Venables said it’s “interesting” that Hawkins is the first Sooner true freshman to start at quarterback, but he wants Hawkins to keep it in perspective once the game begins.

“He’s gotta not try to win the game in the first drive of the game and play within the system, take care of the football,” Venables said. “You do that — and you got good special teams, you got a good defense — and you can make some plays with the guys around you, you have a chance to win each and every week.

“ … So between now and then, we’ve, as a staff, kind of just laid out there what he can expect. And again, every week, I mean, it’s about us. And so that’ll be fun for Mike. I know it’ll be a big moment for him, his family being from Dallas. But at the end of the day, we’re gonna face a really good Texas team that’s really balanced in all three phases.

“And like I said, he’s gotta be somebody that’s not too high, not too low, things of that nature.”

“Mike’s handling it just like any other week,” Roberts said. “And really, his preparation has stayed the same from when he was in that backup role to stepping into the starting role. So if he’s nervous, I can’t tell. Mike’s just a cool cat, he’s just doing his thing and he looks great.”

“He’s been great,” Sexton said. “Stepped in, been a good leader, vocal leader, talks to the guys, juices them up. He has been the guy that’s exactly what we need.”

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ROOKIE RECORD

Here’s how first-year starting QBs in the Red River Rivalry have performed against their more experienced counterparts since 1990:

1990 (TEXAS 14, OU 13)

STEVE COLLINS, OU (L vs. PETER GARDERE)
PASSING: 1-5, 6 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT
RUSHING: 3-8

1991 (TEXAS 10, OU 7)

* CALE GUNDY, OU (L vs. PETER GARDERE)
PASSING: 5-17, 69 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT (6 SACKS)
RUSHING: 9-(-42)

1993 (OKLAHOMA 38, TEXAS 17)

SHEA MORENZ, TEXAS (L vs. CALE GUNDY)
PASSING: 20-36, 263 YARDS, 2 TD, 2 INT (3 SACKS)
RUSHING: 4-(-10)

1995 (OU 24, TEXAS 24)

ERIC MOORE, OU (T vs. JAMES BROWN)
PASSING: 7-15, 48 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT (2 SACKS)
RUSHING: 9-36

1996 (OU 30, TEXAS 27)

JUSTIN FUENTE, OU (W vs. JAMES BROWN)
PASSING: 15-34, 165 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
RUSHING: 1-3

1999 (TEXAS 38, OU 28)

JOSH HEUPEL, OU (L vs. MAJOR APPLEWHITE)
PASSING: 31-48, 311 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT (2 SACKS)
RUSHING: 6-(-13)

2004 (OU 12, TEXAS 0)

* VINCE YOUNG, TEXAS (L vs. JASON WHITE)
PASSING: 8-23, 86 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT (3 SACKS)
RUSHING: 16-54

2005 (TEXAS 45, OU 12)

RHETT BOMAR, OU (L vs. VINCE YOUNG)
PASSING: 12-33, 94 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT (3 SACKS)
RUSHING: 12-9

2007 (OU 28, TEXAS 21)

SAM BRADFORD, OU (L vs. COLT MCCOY)
PASSING: 21-32, 244 YDS, 3 TD, 0 INT (1 SACK)
RUSHING: 3-(-6)

2009 (TEXAS 16, OU 13)

+ LANDRY JONES, OU (L vs. COLT MCCOY)
PASSING: 24-43, 250 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT (1 SACK)
RUSHING: 3-(-4)

2010 (OU 28, TEXAS 20)

GARRETT GILBERT, TEXAS (L vs. LANDRY JONES)
PASSING: 27-41, 266 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT (3 SACKS)
RUSHING: 5-(-18)

2011 (OU 55, TEXAS 17)

CASE MCCOY, TEXAS (L vs. LANDRY JONES)
PASSING: 9-15, 116 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT (3 SACKS)
RUSHING: 9-(-38)

2012 (OU 62, TEXAS 21)

* DAVID ASH, TEXAS (L vs. LANDRY JONES)
PASSING: 13-29, 113 YDS, 0 TDS, 2 INTS (3 SACKS)
RUSHING: 6-16

2013 (TEXAS 36, OKLAHOMA 20)

* BLAKE BELL (L vs. CASE McCOY)
PASSING: 12-26, 133 YDS, 0 TDS, 2 INTS (4 SACKS)
RUSHING: 7-(-27)

2016 (OKLAHOMA 45, TEXAS 40)

SHANE BUECHELE (L vs. BAKER MAYFIELD)
PASSING: 19-36, 245 YDS, 3 TDS, 1 INT (4 SACKS)
RUSHING: 11-27

2017 (OKLAHOMA 29, TEXAS 24)

SAM EHLINGER (L vs. BAKER MAYFIELD)
PASSING: 19-39, 278 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT (2 SACKS)
RUSHING: 22-106, 1 TD

2018 (TEXAS 48, OKLAHOMA 45)

KYLER MURRAY (L vs. SAM EHLINGER)
PASSING: 19-26, 304 YDS, 4 TDS, 1 INT (2 SACKS)
RUSHING: 11-92, 1 TD

2019 (OKLAHOMA 34, TEXAS 27)

JALEN HURTS (W vs. SAM EHLINGER)
PASSING: 16-28, 235 YDS, 3 TDS, 1 INT
RUSHING: 17-131, 1 TD

2020 (OKLAHOMA 53, TEXAS 45)

SPENCER RATTLER (W vs. SAM EHLINGER)
PASSING: 23-35, 209 YDS, 3 TDS, 1 INT (2 SACKS)
RUSHING: 14-51, 1 TD

2023 (OKLAHOMA 34, TEXAS 30)

DILLON GABRIEL (W vs. QUINN EWERS)
PASSING: 23-38, 285 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT (1 SACK)
RUSHING: 14-113, 1 TD

1. * played as a backup in the previous season’s game
2. + didn’t start but entered game early in 1st quarter