Mike Hawkins Jr. Calls Cam Cook the Best Player He's Ever Shared the Field With

QB1 has major respect for the guy next to him in the shotgun.

Oct 3, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez celebrates with West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) and West Virginia Mountaineers running back Cam Cook (4) after the touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mike Hawkins Jr. is having a spectacular first season as the starting quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers, and because of it, he's getting some love for the Heisman Trophy.

He may not be firmly in the conversation right now, but the actual Heisman Trophy podcast recently had Hawkins on to discuss his season and how he's liked playing at WVU thus far.

At one point in the interview, Hawkins was asked who the best player he's ever shared a field with. His answer? The guy who lines up next to him in the backfield.

“I would probably say Cam Cook right now. He’s unreal. He doesn’t go down. I don’t think I’ve seen one guy tackle him by himself. It’s once in a lifetime you play with him, so it’s crazy. When we first got here, I just kind of seen the way he works and goes about his business. It’s really detailed, but obviously when the games started, that’s kind of when you realize you have someone back there that you can rely on and get the ball in his hands, and he’s going to make it happen. He’s definitely someone I love being by my side.”

Cook, like Hawkins, makes his offensive linemen right when something breaks down in the trenches. So far this season, Cook has racked up 649 yards AFTER contact. Folks, that's double what West Virginia's leading rusher, Diore Hubbard, had for the entire season, and that's total yards, not just after contact.

He is elite in making guys miss, and as offensive line coach Rick Trickett has stated before, "he always makes the first guy miss," and when you do that, a lot of good things typically happen.

There are still four games left in the season, but you know West Virginia would love to see Cook and Hawkins back in a Mountaineer uniform in 2027. WVU will have to fend off others trying to get Hawkins to enter the transfer portal, while also making a competitive offer to Cook to stay for one more year rather than go to the NFL next spring.

If the Mountaineers are able to bring the dynamic duo back for next season, WVU will have a legitimate shot at making the College Football Playoff. That is, assuming they get the defense fixed.

Watch the full episode here:

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