Head coach Brent Venables revealed during his Monday night show that true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. will start for the 18th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners when they head to Auburn this Saturday.
Hawkins is stepping in at quarterback for Jackson Arnold, who struggled with three turnovers in the first half of the Sooners’ 25-15 defeat to Tennessee.
Taking over for Arnold during the game, Hawkins went on to complete 11 out of 18 pass attempts, tallying 132 yards and throwing a touchdown.
Venables was impressed by Hawkins’ athleticism and ability to make plays.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Venables said postgame. “There were several times there where we had edge pressure that we didn’t block and he got outside of it. So he has some playmaking ability, and he can hurt you with his legs.”
The Sooners are set to face the Auburn Tigers at 2:30 p.m. this Saturday, with the game airing on ABC.
