The Oklahoma Sooners made a tough call at the quarterback position in their loss to Tennessee. Jackson Arnold’s three turnovers didn’t leave them a whole lot of choice. The Sooners turned to true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins, who will start this week for the Sooners.
Hawkins rewarded the Sooners with a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma a little hope down the stretch. Brent Venables wasted little time in naming Hawkins the starting quarterback this week against the Auburn Tigers. The Sooners’ coaching staff believes he gives them the best chance to find more consistency and production on offense.
Instead of going into this week with a quarterback competition, the Sooners powers that be saw enough in Saturday’s loss to Tennessee to feel comfortable moving forward with Hawkins.
“Maybe this will give us a better chance moving forward,” Venables said of making the switch to Hawkins. “Believe in Mike. Made that announcement for lots of reasons. Certainly didn’t want a decision like that to hang over anyone’s head. We’ve gotta get better. Sometimes, maybe change is good.”
Change, for change’s sake, wasn’t the goal. They had a comfort level with Hawkins after watching him for the last nine months in practice, in workouts, and in the meeting rooms. And his play supported the buzz we’d heard during all offseason.
“He’s a very talented guy, not a really experienced guy, but he has certainly shown that he’s got the right stuff to do it at different times since he’s been here,” Venables said during his Tuesday press conference.
No, Michael Hawkins doesn’t have a lot of experience, but what he lacks in experience, he makes up for with grit, determination, and an unwavering mindset. Beyond his immense physical talent, Hawkins made believers out of Kirk Herbstreit and a large portion of the fan base with his willingness to put it all on the line in the fourth quarter.
He was unfazed by the situation he was thrust into. As the game wore on, he became more comfortable with what he was asked to do. By the end, the broadcast crew, those in attendance, and those watching at home knew who the Sooners starting quarterback should be. And it didn’t take the Sooners coaching staff long to name their starting quarterback for Auburn.
While it was only a little more than a half of action, Hawkins showed off his potential, leading Oklahoma’s only two touchdown drives of the evening against a good Tennessee Volunteers defense.
It’s another tough spot this week for the true freshman quarterback, but he earned the opportunity to start for the Sooners as they make the trip to Auburn. He threw on time and made good decisions with the football. His incredible speed and athleticism will be the focus for a lot of defensive coordinators, but Hawkins showed he could beat a defense through the air.
The Sooners will need Hawkins to build off his strong performance against Tennessee and protect the football against a good Auburn defense. With the will and determination he showed, the Sooners are in good hands ahead of their first road trip of the season.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables believes Michael Hawkins has ‘the right stuff’ to be successful for the Sooners
