Kirk Herbstreit on Mike Hawkins Jr.: 'It’s So Much Fun to Watch'

All it took was one game against a legit opponent for the rest of the college football world to realize the type of talent that West Virginia quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. is. He made a serious statement in the win over No. 25 Virginia, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for three, leading to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, while also being named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.

Just a week ago, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, per usual, went against West Virginia in College GameDay's pick'em segment. Now, I'm not calling him out for doing so or "switching up" because I had Virginia winning the game too, but I thought it would be a winnable game for WVU and one where UVA would score late to make it a two-score final. Kirk sort of laughed it off, quickly picking the Cavaliers without knowing where the game was actually being played.

Herbie did show some love, unprompted, I might add, to the Mountaineers and QB Mike Hawkins Jr. today during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

"West Virginia had a massive win against Virginia and Michael Hawkins is so much fun to watch..

This is gonna be an awesome weekend of college football" ~ @KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/JzFYy6UFnv
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 24, 2026

“Incredible games across the board, and I’m not just saying this because of Pat, but West Virginia had a massive win, and they got a quarterback in Hawkins, coming over from Oklahoma… I don’t want to compare him to Pat White, but when Rich Rod has a guy that can run and throw like this, it’s so much fun to watch," Herbstreit said. "And you got Oklahoma State, who, of course, became a huge story after losing to Tulsa, then they beat Oregon. That’s a very, very exciting game.”

With Hawkins, the Mountaineers always have a chance

Sep 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's a certain comfort you get when there is a dynamic quarterback who is decisive, operating the offense. And by dynamic, it can be a pure pocket passer such as Will Grier. You can be explosive as a runner or hit big plays in the passing game, but if you take chances too often and turn the ball over, you wash out the big plays that you do create. As Grier did 7-8 years ago, Hawkins doesn't put the ball in harm's way and knows exactly where to go with it, which is why the Mountaineers will be in every game they play, regardless of the opponent.

Hawkins and WVU will have another opportunity to make a statement this weekend in the Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State.

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