Inside the Recruiting Pitch WVU Used to Land Oklahoma Transfer QB Michael Hawkins Jr.

When West Virginia's season came to an end, and they began making preparations for the transfer portal, two options were tossed around by the media and fans regarding the quarterback situation.

It was either bring in a veteran who may have one year of experience, who doesn't mind serving as a mentor to Scotty Fox Jr., or another young guy who could come in and compete with Fox for the starting job.

It ended up being a third option no one really discussed — landing a former four-star recruit, who has some starting experience in the SEC and has next-level talent in Michael Hawkins Jr.

Getting a player of that caliber was a little unexpected, particularly this early in the rebuild. That being said, he is entering a competition with Fox for the starting job, so for those who expected Option 2, I'd say you were partially right.

But what was it exactly that allowed WVU to sign Hawkins and his brother Maliek?

Honesty and a true vision, according to their father, Michael Hawkins Sr., who knows a thing or two about the game, having spent some time in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.

Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) warms up before the game against the Texas Longhorns at Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

“The people. They were honest and real. The way they treated us… There was a sense of not just wanting you but needing you," he said in an exclusive interview with West Virginia On SI. "And Rich Rod, I’ve always had a liking for him, even before this ever came up. I just always looked at him as one of the top offensive minds, and I thought his offense always fit Mike.

“Part of it was Coach Alley, and Henry (Weinrich), and (GM) Chuck (Lillie) — the connection from Oklahoma," he continued. "They watched Mike every day for a year straight, and they knew what he could do. But when I got an opportunity to talk to Coach Rich Rod and Coach (Travis) Trickett, Rhett (Rodriguez), and then Pat (White) — they were all on the same page. They had a plan, and I think that’s what’s missing sometimes. Like, what is the plan? Especially a guy like me, I know the game, I’ve been around it. But what’s the plan? And they broke it down. They were honest about competition and what they wanted and what they didn’t have, and then what they needed.”

Having a plan is one thing, but the level of detail in that plan is what blew the Hawkins family away. They had several other schools calling, trying to land a visit, but after the presentation West Virginia's staff gave, they saw no reason to take visits anywhere else. They were sold.

“They matched the offense from when Mike was a sophomore at Allen (High School) to his last game at OU. They showed us plays of the plan," he explained. "Like, this is what he ran as a sophomore at Allen, and we do this right now. The language and what Mike has done his whole football career, Rich Rod is doing it in his offense, so it wasn’t a big jump to learn the offense. He already knows it."

For some in Hawkins Jr.'s position, they may have completely avoided a school like West Virginia, which is entering year two of a rebuild and has a promising young quarterback on the roster. But if you know the Hawkins family's mindset, that's not how they operate. They welcome competition and understand it's part of what makes the overall team better.

“We didn’t ask for any guarantees. We just said we wanted a true opportunity. And you want everybody to succeed. Like I’ve said, you need more than one. This is football. We just want an opportunity, and I tell Mike you really can’t control others, so why focus on who is there? We wish everybody the best. We’re rooting for everybody in that room because you can’t say, ‘Hey, this is a family, but then it’s only family when it’s good for you. No, you’ve got to be a family when it’s not good for you. I didn’t bring Mike up to have hate in his heart. Love wins all the time, and it shouldn’t be a problem with competing. I had to do it. Love it, embrace it.”

That belief in competition goes back to his high school days at Allen, where, when he first arrived, there were eight guys in front of him. Yes, you read that correctly. Eight.

“You had three seniors, three juniors, and then you had Mike and a guy that was in his class as well. And I asked Mike, ‘If you’re not the guy, what do you want to do? Do you want to switch?’ And he said, ‘Look, Dad, I’m going to be the guy. I don’t want to talk about nothing else.’ And you know everybody looks good in shirts and shorts, but when they got in them pads, he did his thing, and he took over that job at 15 (years old).”

With the addition of Hawkins and the return of Scotty Fox Jr., West Virginia's quarterback room is in a much better position than it was this time a year ago. Over the next few weeks of spring ball, into the summer, and the month of fall camp, those two (and others) will battle for the starting job, which, of course, Rich Rod likely won't reveal ahead of the season opener.