Michael Hawkins Jr. might force Oklahoma fans to question the Sooners' QB situation

Oklahoma fans already have reasons to miss quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., or at least think what if, and it’s barely even Week 3. 

Plenty of OU fans have yelled for the Sooners to bench quarterback John Mateer after his poor performance in their 17-10 loss to Michigan on Saturday in Ann Arbor. Meanwhile, West Virginia fans couldn’t be happier with their new QB1, Hawkins, who transferred over the offseason after two years at OU.

Hawkins’ time in Morgantown couldn’t be off to a better start, but it’s worth immediately noting that the Mountaineers haven’t played anyone worth anything yet, with blowout wins over Coastal Carolina and UT Martin. We’ll really get to see what Hawkins is made of on Saturday, when West Virginia travels to play No. 25 Virginia. 

In those two wins, Hawkins totaled 486 yards and six touchdowns. He hasn’t done much as a passer yet with less than 200 passing yards in both outings, but he also hasn’t needed to. He’s still third in the country in passer rating. 

He’s been the most impressive as a runner, averaging 99.6 rushing yards per game. He ran for 103 yards and a TD on 20 attempts in his WVU debut against Coastal Carolina. He then rushed for 96 yards and two more scores on just six carries against UT Martin. 

OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle tried to force that same rushing production out of Mateer against Michigan, with 13 carries for 45 yards. If you subtract three sacks, then Mateer had 10 rushing attempts for 68 yards.  

Against UTEP, the same level of competition Hawkins has faced, Mateer had seven rushing yards on three attempts with a conservative game plan to keep him from getting hit. 

It’s really like comparing apples and oranges, but there’s no denying that Hawkins is the type of mobile quarterback that Arbuckle is trying to force Mateer to be. He’s explosive and has the quickness to get around defenders, instead of trying to run through them. Hawkins isn’t a proven passer yet, but Mateer has already made it clear that he’s not reliable in the passing game. 

John Mateer will always be Ben Arbuckle's QB1

At the end of the day, though, Mateer is Arbuckle’s guy. They came to Norman together last year after thriving at Washington State. They obviously haven’t been the same dynamic duo with an SEC schedule. Arbuckle had the chance to see if Hawkins could elevate his offense, but he won’t budge from Mateer. 

Mateer likely won’t get benched anytime soon, no matter how many fans want it. A key reason for that is, as unreliable as Mateer has been, that everyone behind him on the depth chart is even less trustworthy. 

Junior Whitt Newbauer is QB2. He transferred from Mercer in 2025 with no expectations to ever take meaningful snaps for the Sooners. He’s also shown little to no mobility during his career, even at the FCS level. 

The next option would be freshman Bowe Bentley. He’s the likely heir to OU’s quarterback position, but he has zero real experience, and Arbuckle has mentioned that there were times Bentley has struggled to adjust in practices. If the season becomes lost, then it could be time for Bentley to get reps. 

That’s when it’s worth wondering: well, what if the Sooners still had Hawkins? There were also times last season when fans wanted Hawkins out there instead of Mateer. 

Hawkins never got a real chance at OU. He made five starts, but three of those were thrown to the wolves of SEC play as a freshman in 2024. But even then, we still saw flashes that something stellar was there, especially when he tucked the ball and gave flashbacks of Kyler Murray. 

The only time Hawkins was the guy for the Sooners was against Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. OU lost with a depleted roster, but Hawkins made it a game. He completed 28 of 43 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for 61 yards on 17 attempts. 

After that performance, the Sooners put all their chips in the center of the table for Mateer. Even though Mateer disappointed and even dealt with an injury, Hawkins still never really got a chance from Arbuckle. Once Mateer made the decision to return this year, Hawkins was gone. 

With Hawkins getting his time somewhere else, the Sooners now have no other real option but Mateer. The truth is, though, even if Hawkins was still on OU's roster, Mateer would still be the undeniable QB1, at least as long as Arbuckle is in charge.

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