The Oklahoma football team benched their starting quarterback Jackson Arnold towards the end of the first half of the game against Tennessee on Saturday night and brought in Michael Hawkins Jr., who certainly made an impression in his few appearances.
Hawkins, a true freshman, led the Sooners’ only two touchdown drives of the night after replacing Arnold, and his play even earned high praise from ESPN color analyst Kirk Herbstreit after he made a tremendous play for Oklahoma’s second touchdown of the night:
The play that sparked Herbstreit’s comment saw Hawkins leap into the end zone late in the fourth quarter for what appeared to be a touchdown, although the play was ruled short upon review. The Sooners pounced on a short touchdown on the ensuing play with Jovantae Barnes.
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“This kid is your quarterback,” Herbstreit said on the show. “This is the quarterback here, No. 9, going into next week. This kid has done enough in these couple of series in the second half. That’s what this is about. This kid fights for every inch.”
Hawkins got off to a slow start on his first few drives, but finished the game completing 11 of 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, as well as rushing for 22 yards on 12 carries.
Arnold struggled in the first half against Tennessee, losing the ball three times, including a fumble at the 6-yard line after Oklahoma forced a strip sack deep in Vols territory.
Hawkins Jr., a four-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class out of Frisco Emerson High School in Texas, was ranked as the No. 20 quarterback and No. 297 player overall nationally, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Oklahoma ultimately lost the game 25-15, but Hawkins Jr.’s performance at the end of the game could give coaches and fans optimism, as he helped a faltering offense gain new momentum.
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