It seems like an annual question for Rich Rodriguez’s second tenure at West Virginia. Who will play quarterback in Week 1 for the Mountaineers? Last year, Rodriguez held his cards close to his chest and had five different options for a starter: Nicco Marchiol, who eventually was named QB1, Jaylen Henderson, Khalil Wilkins, Max Brown and Scotty Fox Jr. He never announced a starter and just let everyone see Week 1 against Robert Morris.
This year is no different, but there are a lot fewer options. Rodriguez mentioned Fox, Brown were fighting for the starting spot, but newcomer and Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr. was also competing. By the end of the spring, Rodriguez hadn’t penciled one in yet.
Rodriugez took the podium for the Big 12 Media Day on Wednesday, July 8, and the first question asked was about the quarterback situation. Just like he did all spring, Rodriguez still hasn’t named a starter. But, he did provide some insight on the situation, and it’s pretty clear the race is between sophomore Fox and Hawkins, who is a redshirt sophomore.
“We wanted to have competition at every position and legitimate competition, and we wanted guys that had production, not potential,” Rodriguez said. “So at the quarterback spot, Scotty coming back. He played as a really young true freshman last year and competed well. He’s gotten better. But we wanted a guy that we think can compete for the starting job and maybe take us to another whole level, and that was Mike Hawkins, who had a great spring. He can run. He can throw.”
Hawkins has played a lot more football than Fox. He’s been productive in two years with the Sooners. Hawkins played in seven games his true freshman year, starting in four, and played two games last year when starter John Mateer was injured. In his freshman season, Hawkins completed 76-of-120 passes (63%) for 783 yards and three touchdowns. As Rodriguez said, Hawkins is productive on the ground as a runner, and rushed 69 times for 204 yards and a touchdown, fitting in nicely in a run-heavy, read option Rodriguez offense.
Fox was productive in his freshman season, too. After all the quarterbacks ahead of him were injured, Fox won two games as a starter and played in nine games. He had 1,276 yards in the air and seven touchdowns. Fox also rushed for three scores as well.
The last and first time fans and media could watch the two signal callers was at the Gold-Blue Spring Festival. Fox looked like a bit of a better passer than Hawkins, but it was hard to tell because it was a scrimmage and not in a real game.
Rodriguez was impressed by both quarterbacks throughout the spring.
“The thing that I thought was most impressed with Mike and Scotty both in the spring is their decisiveness,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of times the quarterback is still learning the system, and they hang on to the ball too long, or they hesitate, and Mike and Scotty were both really, really decisive in their actions.”
After leaving the podium, Rodriguez briefly hopped on the ESPNU broadcast and talked a bit more about his two quarterbacks. He said Hawkins made a charge this spring, but Fox was still right there with him. Rodriguez said the battle will continue into fall camp.
Like last season, Rodriguez said he’s not afraid to play both if they are both good enough to win with, but he knows eventually one will emerge as the starter.
A lot of fans and media are curious about who the starter will be, especially after last year’s quarterback carousel, but Rodriguez said that’s the position he’s the least concerned about. Either of them is a strong option.
“I’m excited about those two leading the charge there,” Rodriguez said. “But I also think we were able to get competition at just about every position.”
