Frisco (Texas) Emerson four-star quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon as the Sooners get their signal-caller for the 2024 class after a deep search that saw offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby center in on Hawkins in the fall.
For Hawkins, the culture in Norman paired with his relationships with Lebby and Brent Venables stood out enough for him to call Oklahoma his new home.
“Since Coach Venables has got there, the culture has changed a lot,” Hawkins said. “And with Coach Lebby, the relationship is great. Just us watching film and going over a lot of things, we are clicking. The relationship there is really good.”
Hawkins chose Oklahoma over a strong relationship with TCU and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, as his recent trips to Norman that featured him and Lebby locking in in the film room helped push the Sooners above for good.
“The past trips up there, I’ve just been in the film room a lot,” he said. “Getting to know a lot of other recruits so I can get the class started. That’s big for me.”
The commitment for Oklahoma gives the Sooners another highly touted DFW signal-caller after landing five-star Jackson Arnold in the 2023 class.
“Just competing, really,” Hawkins said about the plan for the two quarterbacks in Norman. “Me and him will both be there, so it’s really up to me to get the starting job.”
In 2022, Hawkins helped lead Allen (Texas) to a bi-district playoff appearance behind 2,024 passing yards and 20 touchdowns paired with 409 rushing yards and three more scores on the ground.
At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Hawkins is ranked as the No. 144 recruit in the country for the class of 2024, according to Rivals. He is ranked as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the country and the No. 24 recruit from the state of Texas.
