Jon Gruden Calls Mike Hawkins Jr. a 'Nightmare' and Floats Heisman Talk

For the second time this season, West Virginia quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.

Also for the second time this year, he was recognized by former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, who gave him a helmet sticker for his massive performance against Cincinnati in Week 7.

We have FIVE MORE helmet stickers to give out to college QBs that showed OUT this weekend!

- BYU Bear Bachmeier
- UTSA Owen McCown
- WVU Michael Hawkins Jr.
- UF Tramell Jones
- ARMY Cale Hellums

Way to go guys!@foxone pic.twitter.com/didWrs2jhy
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) October 20, 2026

“What a dual-threat beast he is. He just threw for 464 yards, three touchdowns. He ran for 77 and two more touchdowns. That’s 541 yards of total offense in one game. This guy is a nightmare. I mean, on the season, he’s thrown for 1,519 yards, 10 touchdowns, one pick, and he’s rushed for 14 touchdowns and 749 yards. The ex-Oklahoma Sooner, Michael Hawkins. Is this how you make a Heisman pose? Michael Hawkins! Let’s give this guy his due.”

Hawkins could be WVU's first Heisman winner if he stays

West Virginia University quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Winning the Heisman Trophy isn't going to happen this season, simply because the Mountaineers aren't going to be in position to win enough games for him to be in the conversation. Now, if the unthinkable happens and they find enough fixes on the defense and somehow win out and go 9-3, then yeah, he'll probably win the darn thing.

2027 is when the discussion, in my opinion, gets serious. That is, assuming he returns to West Virginia. I'm not suggesting that he would leave WVU, but as you would imagine, teams are already keeping a super close eye on him and are going to try to make a run at him at season's end. Hawkins loves it at WVU, has a strong relationship with Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff, and it's a perfect fit for his skill set. So don't worry too much. West Virginia is going to do everything it takes to lock him up to a multi-year deal.

But if he returns, I think there's more than a good chance that he will be in the Heisman conversation deep into the 2027 season. Pretty much the entire offense comes back; you'll hopefully be able to field an average defense, at worst, which means you'll be winning games. He's already putting up silly numbers right now. Just imagine what he'll be doing when he has a full year under his belt in the system and a second offseason in it.

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