TEXAS — Frisco Emerson football alum and West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. made his return to Dallas-Fort Worth for the third time in his college career, but before this past weekend had yet to come away with a win. Last Saturday in Fort Worth, however, Hawkins changed that alongside his new team.

After spending two seasons at Oklahoma, Michael Hawkins Jr. entered the transfer portal and quickly found a home in Morgantown.

“Mike’s got the capability of making so many big plays,” West Virginia football head coach Rich Rodriguez said.

A dual-threat quarterback, Hawkins has proved to be the perfect fit for the Mountaineers’ system.

“It’s very downhill. It’s fast tempo,” Hawkins said. “He knows Coach Rich Rod knows what he wants, and then once you know they try to load a box, we could take shots over the top. So it’s a great offense to be in.”

It’s an offense that’s given him a chance to flourish. Through eight games, he’s put the Big 12 on notice. Hawkins is currently second in the league in rushing yards, behind only his running back Cam Cook, and he leads the country in rushing touchdowns with 16.

But what’s maybe even more impressive is that he’s doing all of this in his first year with the program.

“I mean, he’s a freshman in our system,” Rodriguez said. “You know he’s going to just keep getting better and better. I’m really proud for the a first-year player what he’s doing.”

Entering this season, Hawkins was 0-2 in both of his returns home to DFW. That is until this past Saturday, when West Virginia beat TCU 24-20. Hawkins got to celebrate with a lot of family and friends.

“It was great. This is probably a game I was looking forward to,” Hawkins said. “I haven’t seen my family in a while, so just seeing all of them in the stands, having them come to the game was a great feeling, and being able to celebrate with them. So it was good.”

So a successful trip back home for the Mountaineers quarterback. And as for his new family in West Virginia: “We got to make sure he stays in Morgantown,” Rodriguez said. “For the next three years.”

Hawkins and the Mountaineers head into their bye week with a record of 5-3, and that extra week of rest could not come at a better time. On the other side, they’ve got their final four regular-season games, and three of them are against ranked opponents. That all gets going next Saturday, Nov. 7, when West Virginia heads to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech.