Michael Hawkins describes how John Mateer has helped ready him to step in for Oklahoma

Oklahoma sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will make his first start of the season this Saturday against Kent State in the wake of starter John Mateer‘s hand injury. Mateer was seen as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy before suffering a hand injury against Auburn, which will keep him out for the next few weeks.

Hawkins Jr. saw a good chunk of action last season in relief of Jackson Arnold. Arnold, who is now at Auburn, struggled mightily in the Sooners offense at times. The Dallas native completed 76/120 passes for 783 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in seven games. He was strong in Oklahoma‘s loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl last year. In the 21-20 loss, he passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns.

He will get a good warmup on Saturday at home against Kent State. The Golden Flashes are allowing 44 points per game to opposing offenses. Hawkins Jr. spoke about the bond between himself and Mateer on Monday.

“John is a great mentor,” Hawkins said. “He’s obviously older than me and he’s been in an offense for a while so he’s a great guy to go to for questions himself. He helps me with stuff I don’t know and just can develop my game.”

Hawkins says he has ‘a great relationship’ with John Mateer

“If I see things he needs… it’s a great relationship we have and I’m glad to have him as a mentor. I lean on him a lot throughout the weeks of him playing and we always talk and get that connection even better throughout the season. He’s a great guy to go to even for the little questions I have.”

Hawkins was the No. 18 ranked quarterback in the Class of 2024. He has been set up to be Oklahoma‘s quarterback of the future once Mateer departs for the NFL Draft this offseason.

“I feel like I took a big step. I feel like a big part of that is because of the people around me,” Hawkins continued on Monday. “Coach [John Kuceyeski] and Coach (Ben) Arbuckle, just the support staff. It’s just been a great environment I’ve been in… The vibe in the room is more upbeat and just happy. Having those guys healthy just really helps your mindset and just how you are going on the field. Just the connection with those guys really helps you.”

Kick-off for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 4:00 PM. The game can be seen on SEC Network.