In the transfer portal era, one team’s loss can be another one’s gain. That seems to be the case for the West Virginia Mountaineers with quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. just two games into the 2026 season.
Put an asterisk next to it if you’d like, given the competition. But Hawkins Jr. has looked nothing short of elite in his first two games in the old-gold-and-blue. On Saturday against UT-Martin, he went 5-for-7 passing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He also added six carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
So far this season, he’s 16-for-21 for 287 passing yards and three touchdowns, and has also added 26 carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The Mountaineers are 2-0 entering Week 3. But unfortunately for his former team, there are a few more concerns at signal caller than the West Virginia seems to currently have.
Mike Hawkins Jr. excels at West Virginia while John Mateer struggles for Oklahoma
As a freshman at Oklahoma, Mike Hawkins Jr. battled with Jackson Arnold for the starting role, playing in seven games and starting four. Last year, he mostly backed up John Mateer, who was recruited by the Sooners out of the transfer portal. So with Mateer coming back this season for another go-round, Oklahoma decided to let Hawkins walk when he entered the transfer portal…