Oklahoma freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins is in a tough spot entering his first collegiate start. That doesn’t mean Sooners head coach Brent Venables erred in making a change.
Ahead of Oklahoma’s first SEC road game against a desperate Auburn (2-2, 0-1 in SEC), Venables announced Hawkins will start in place of Jackson Arnold, who started the Sooners’ first four games of the 2024 season.
Arnold struggled against power conference competition, Houston and Tennessee.
He was 26-of-48 (54.2 percent) for 228 yards (4.8 yards per attempt), two touchdowns and two interceptions in the two games.
Per ESPN’s Max Olson, Arnold averaged 4.73 yards per play this season, last among power conference quarterbacks and 115th overall in FBS.
Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1 in SEC) scored 15 points on 21 offensive series with Arnold at quarterback against the Cougars and Volunteers, and the unit was more effective when Hawkins came in against Tennessee.
Hawkins led two touchdown drives, going 11-of-18 for 132 yards and a touchdown while adding 22 yards on the ground.
Jordan-Hare Stadium at Auburn isn’t as threatening a place to play for opponents as it once was. The Tigers have already lost twice at home this season, against California (3-1, 0-1 in ACC) and Arkansas (3-1, 1-0 in SEC). But as Nick Saban might say, it isn’t Vanderbilt.
SEC road games are challenging outside of Nashville, and arguably, no team needs to win more in the SEC in Week 5 than Auburn after its underwhelming start to the season.
It isn’t the environment most coaches would want a freshman quarterback to play in for his first start. But based on the alternative, it was a move Venables needed to make.
