Does Rich Rodriguez have a real Heisman contender in Michael Hawkins Jr.?

The West Virginia Mountaineers are seven games into the current season, and there's no point in denying it: Michael Hawkins Jr. is a bonafide star. He won the starting job for the Mountaineers after transferring in from Oklahoma, but he's not just a 'starting Power 4 quarterback' level of player. He's proven to be the type of player who can put the game on his shoulders and change the outcome.

His ability to do so, combined with his quite gaudy numbers (1,519 passing yards 10 passing touchdowns, 749 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns), have begun to turn some heads nationally. The official Heisman Trophy social media account spotlighted his performance last week, and Jon Gruden even floated some Heisman talk when talking about that same performance.

"The ex-Oklahoma Sooner, Michael Hawkins," Gruden said. "Is this how you make a Heisman pose? Michael Hawkins! Let’s give this guy his due.”

And on Thursday, the Hesiman Hopefuls podcast, hosted by Heisman Trophy historian Chris Huston, featured an appearance from Hawkins. So, after winning the Walter Camp National Player of the Week award for the second time this season, is it time to make a late push for the Mike Hawkins Jr. Heisman Trophy campaign?

Could Michael Hawkins Jr. be a future Heisman Trophy winner for the West Virginia Mountaineers?

Well, the answer to the question above depends on when you're talking about him winning the Heisman Trophy. Is he going to win it this year? Barring a miracle finish where the Mountaineers finish 9-3 with multiple Top 25 upsets, and Hawkins Jr. is throwing for multiple touchdowns and 300 yards per game, probably not.

The Hesiman Trophy typically is awarded to a player on a top team, and even the most exceptional players tend not to win it unless they play for a team that's won 8-9 games. And the Heisman Trophy is typically looked at as an award mostly fouarterbacks in today's age, and quarterbacks who get the job done in th passing game or heavily favored over run-first quarterbacks.

That doesn't bode well for Hawkins Jr. either, because his rushing numbers are much more impressive than his passing numbers. Of course, last week's 464-yard performance through the air, which resulted in three passing touchdowns, was a good start – a few more of those types of games resulting in wins will certainly see his name gain some momentum in the discussion.

But next year seems like a much more likely scenario. If the Mountaineers can keep Hawkins Jr. around, he's only going to continue to develop and get more comfortable in the offense. And if he keeps playing the way he has this year but gets even better and puts up even gaudier numbers across a full season? And the Mountaineers are winning more?

Well, if all that happens, then he will likely be a real contender to become West Virginia's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner. And it would certainly be in the best interest of the Mountaineers to do everything within their power to keep Hawkins Jr. around.

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