Report Card: Oklahoma QB Michael Hawkins vs. Auburn

The Sooners freshman accounted for 230 total yards and engineered multiple scoring drives against the unranked Tigers.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (9) runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Oklahoma Sooners at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Oklahoma Sooners defeated Auburn Tigers 27-21. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Michael Hawkins Jr.’s performance against Tennessee introduced him to Sooner Nation. His performance against Auburn embedded him among the team’s most beloved players.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound true freshman who, a year ago, was a 4-star prospect at Emerson High School in McKinney, TX, passed 10-for-15 for 161 yards and no interceptions, ran for 69 yards and added a rushing touchdown and a 2-point conversion in the Sooners’ 27-21 road win at Auburn.

His numbers may not jump out of the screen, but his command of the offense did. In his first start wearing No. 9 for the Sooners and the Sooners’ first win as a member of the Southeastern Conference, Hawkins was gritty, and that portends good things for the Sooners as they prep to face No. 2-ranked Texas next weekend in Dallas.

Let’s dive into Hawkins' performance at Auburn:

Best Throw

Auburn clearly outplayed the Sooners for at least the first 2 1/2 quarters. By the fourth quarter, the Tigers held a 21-10 lead. Hawkins, who seldom attempted a downfield pass on Saturday, sparked OU’s comeback with a 60-yard completion to J.J. Hester that set up a Jovantae Barnes 2-yard touchdown. The throw traveled 65 yards through the air. Auburn’s coverage did not break. Hester had just stacked Auburn’s cornerback when Hawkins threw the ball, and Hawkins delivered where only Hester could reach it.

J.J Hester’s performance on Saturday was easily one of the most important of the game.

3 catches for 86 yards, including a first down on 2nd and 18 and the 60-yarder that set everything up.

Somebody had to step up at receiver. Give Hester a ton of credit for coming up big. pic.twitter.com/66APGKYFCF

— Tyler McComas (@Tyler_McComas) September 29, 2024

"He [Hawkins] did a really nice job of not taking a bunch of sacks," Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said. "What did they have on sacks for the day? They had two? And he got out of a handful of more. What a ball – we had been waiting dog years for an explosive play and finally got one. ... And cool for JJ, too. He’s had a lot of hiccups, like a lot of guys, in the first part of the season. Great for him. What a perfect ball. They’re playing man-to-man. Hey, man, we’re just going to keep letting people do that to us. Just sit back and eat your popcorn and watch people do the same thing until we make people do something different. What a great play that was as well."

Not only was it a great throw but a crucial throw to that point in the game, and though offensive coordinator Seth Littrell kept it elementary for Hawkins most of the day, this throw demonstrated what he can do and likely will do more of as he, Littrell and the offense become more comfortable with each other.

"I mean, you gotta be able to stretch the field vertically," Littrell said. "There was even a couple more opportunities we missed, and so we'll get better with that. But proud of the fact that some guys were getting open down the field. We have to throw a couple better balls and we have to get to some guys a little quicker. But again, proud of their efforts. We still have a lot to grow on, a lot to work on, but they've been working extremely hard."

Best Run

Hawkins rushed 14 times for 69 yards and one 48-yard touchdown on Oklahoma’s first offensive drive. The setup: Third-and-5 on the left hash, pistol with Barnes shaded to Hawkins’ left, Zion Ragins, Bauer Sharp and Jake Roberts in trips to the right and Brenan Thompson the lone receiver against the boundary. Auburn put six in the box with a nickel safety shaded left of the edge rusher opposite of the boundary (the same side as Ragins, Sharp and Roberts). Hawkins dropped back to pass as Roberts and Thompson ran a standard mesh and crossed each other at about 5 yards. Sharp ran an out and Ragins ran a curl to pull the corner away from Roberts. Gabe Ikard and Teddy Lehman did a great job breaking down what happened after on the Oklahoma Breakdown podcast:

Ikard: “I’m not sure that he [Hawkins] couldn’t just put the slant on Bauer Sharp right now for a first down. I think that, if he would’ve done it, I think it’s a first down. Now, let me make myself very clear, I’m really glad he didn’t. ... They’re playing (cover) zero. There’s no deep safety in the middle of the field, at all.”

Lehman: “You’ve got guys chasing those crossers, and it’s a good thing, because they run all of the players right out of the middle of the field, and this is one of the dangers of going man-to-man against a quarterback that can scramble, especially in a third-and-5 situation.”

Hawkins tucked the ball and, literally in the blink of an eye, was through the B gap and into the second level, where he escaped the nickel, the only tackler with a prayer to pull him down, without a stumble. A blink later, Hawkins was into the red zone with only chasers behind him. He reached a top speed of 21.2 MPH, tied for third-fastest among all college football players on Week 5.

Top 5 Fastest #CFB Players From Week 5️⃣:

T3. Michael Hawkins Jr. (@OU_Football) - 21.2 MPH 👀@mikehawkinsj shows off his speed and athleticism on this 48-yard 🏠📞!!#Sooners #Oklahoma #SEC #Speed #football pic.twitter.com/Z2Ecs6fQMP

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 30, 2024

Room to improve

Hawkins will get better, no doubt. But the fact that he came into the game against Tennessee and energized the team and his fan base, and then played turnover free with two massive plays in his first career start on the road in the SEC, in front of 88,000 agitated Auburn fans, speaks volumes about his upside.

Again, his passing numbers were nothing revolutionary. He did not find the end zone with his arm and the majority of his 10 passes were check-downs and dump-offs. Littrell kept it simple, and for what he was tasked to do, Hawkins delivered. We don't know what Hawkins can do just yet, but he showed promise when he was unleashed on Saturday and was mostly error-free.

"Man, he's only gonna get better," Littrell said. "I think being on the road like this in this environment, first time on the road, and having to use a non-verbal cadence, which we just started back this week on doing that. The communication throughout the plays with not only the receivers, with the O-line, with the running backs, it's a lot. It's a lot for a veteran quarterback, especially not only that, but a freshman quarterback."

Final grade: B