Mike Hawkins Jr. Could Be Rich Rodriguez's Next Great Quarterback

At every stop throughout his career, Rich Rodriguez has had a dynamic dual-threat quarterback who turned into one of the best players in the country.

Shaun King (Tulane), Woody Dantzler (Clemson), Rasheed Marshall (WVU), Pat White (WVU), Denard Robinson (Michigan), Anu Solomon (Arizona), and Khalil Tate (Arizona). Tyler Huff (Jacksonville State) may not have received the same type of recognition, but he threw for over 2.500 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for over 1,300 and 15 touchdowns.

Rich Rodriguez knows a talented quarterback when he sees one, and it appears Mike Hawkins Jr. is well on his way to eventually adding his name to that long list of successful quarterbacks to have played for him.

I don't want to get too ahead of myself here because I realize he hasn't played a single down for the Mountaineers, but the talent, the makeup, the poise, the IQ — it's all there. He has a next-level understanding of the game, which comes from spending countless hours in the film room.

You know you've stumbled upon something good when those inside the building are constantly talking about how impressed they are with his work ethic, how he carries himself, and how he's doing things on the field that a WVU quarterback hasn't done in a long time. He sees things most quarterbacks don't and doesn't get fazed by pressure, be it a blitz or an intense moment.

What makes Hawkins' situation at WVU even better is that he has two of those guys from that long list in the building with him in Rasheed Marshall and Pat White. He is well aware of how successful they were and uses both of them as a resource to improve on and off the field.

“I talk to Rasheed probably every day," he said on 3 Guys Before the Game. "Our relationship has developed since I got here. He’s definitely a great guy to talk to. Just go in there and have regular conversations. But yeah, he was a dude.”

Marshall is now the Director of Player Relations at WVU, where, per his official job description, he "Has daily communication with the head coach regarding the pulse of the team and assists the head coach with the leadership council, player counseling meetings, educational meetings, leads the Big Brother program, and develops the materials for the student-athletes. He is responsible for all roll calls, including team meetings and meals. He executes the onboarding for transfer student-athletes and coordinates the mental health education program for all student-athletes. He manages all player housing and is the liaison for financial aid and stipend checks for the student-athletes."

Rasheed is also there to talk football, too. He is there for Hawkins and the other quarterbacks to lean on as an extra voice or set of eyes in addition to Rich Rod, Rhett Rodriguez, and Travis Trickett. Obviously, he's not hands-on with them as that trio is, but he'll offer some tips when necessary.

The same goes for arguably the best to ever do it in Morgantown, Pat White.

“Every time I get to the facility, I touch base with him, and I’m probably with him the majority of the day," Hawkins explained. "Just try to pick his brain and watch games on our opponents coming up. He’s definitely been a big help to me.”

Like everyone else in the building, White has been blown away by what Hawkins brings to the table, and as everyone knows by now, he admitted back in the spring that Hawkins is faster than he was during his playing days. I know that's hard to believe, but Pat White isn't a guy who just says those kinds of things if he didn't believe it to be true.

Hawkins was incredible during the team's fifteen spring practices, quickly picking up the offense, one very similar to the one he had in high school, and did an elite job of protecting the ball, according to multiple sources. Rodriguez confirmed his strong spring during a May interview with Pete Thamel of ESPN.

"We were thinking about taking two transfers because we lost three in the portal. But we got Mike Hawkins [from Oklahoma], and I had seen him play a little bit, and there was some body of work to judge him on, but also kind of thinking, I think this guy, he's got an edge to him, wanting to prove himself kind of deal. And he's got all the skill set that we need. And so he came here, and then he's been everything we thought and then some."

A lot still has to come together before Hawkins can officially add his name to that famous list, but the talent and the support on and off the field are all there for him to make it happen.

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