Michael Hawkins Jr. Has Turned No. 3 Into West Virginia’s Newest Signal
Three games into the 2026 season, Michael Hawkins Jr. has moved beyond the label of Oklahoma transfer. A five-touchdown upset of ranked Virginia, a 3–0 West Virginia start and national weekly honors have changed the conversation around the Mountaineers quarterback almost overnight.
The most important thing Michael Hawkins Jr. did in Charlotte was not throw two touchdown passes or run for three more. It was make West Virginia look dangerous again.
The Mountaineers entered the September 19 Duke’s Mayo Classic against No. 25 Virginia as a double-digit underdog. They fell behind 7–0, then 14–7. The kind of start that can turn a neutral-site game into a long night instead produced the clearest evidence yet of what Hawkins brings to Rich Rodriguez’s offense: he can change the geometry of a possession with either his arm or his legs.
West Virginia won 38–27. Hawkins completed 10 of 17 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, ran 18 times for a career-high 123 yards and scored three times on the ground. Every Mountaineer touchdown came through No. 3. By the end of the night, West Virginia was 3–0 for the first time since 2018 and Hawkins had created the first true breakout image of the program’s 2026 season.
No. 3 stopped looking like a transfer quarterback’s jersey number and started looking like the symbol of West Virginia’s September.
The Virginia Game Changed Hawkins’ Place in the Season
The dual-threat ability was visible before Charlotte. In the opener against Coastal Carolina, Hawkins threw a 49-yard touchdown and later scored on the ground. Against UT Martin, the field opened even wider: West Virginia won 52–7 while Hawkins produced explosive plays both through the air and as a runner.
Virginia turned those flashes into a complete identity. Hawkins’ first rushing touchdown came from 13 yards. His second arrived late in the first half and pushed West Virginia in front. He connected with DJ Epps for two touchdown passes, then added his third rushing score in the fourth quarter as the Mountaineers pulled away.
Five Touchdowns Put Him Beside Mountaineer History
West Virginia’s own history gives the stat line extra weight. Hawkins became only the fourth player in program history to produce at least three rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in the same game. One of the names connected to that achievement is Pat White, the quarterback whose speed and improvisation still define how many WVU supporters imagine the ideal Mountaineer offense.
That comparison does not require pretending three games make Hawkins the next version of a program legend. What matters is the style of the moment. The quarterback run is again making defenders commit numbers toward the line. Passing lanes appear because the defense cannot ignore the possibility of Hawkins keeping the ball. When the pocket becomes unstable, the play does not necessarily end.
The Social Clips Explain the Dual-Threat Appeal
Statistics tell the audience that Hawkins can run. Video explains why it changes the mood around a possession. When he keeps the ball and clears the first layer of the defense, the play immediately shifts from quarterback execution to open-field improvisation.
That visual quality is important to the way a player becomes recognizable beyond a box score. Fans remember the body angle, the acceleration and the moment a quarterback stops moving like a passer and starts moving like the most dangerous runner on the field.
Why the Michael Hawkins Jr. Graphic Works Right Now
The Ellie Shirt artwork freezes Hawkins in the opposite part of his game: a throwing pose. That choice keeps the visual from reducing him to a running quarterback. MICHAEL sits across the top in large white lettering, while HAWKINS JR uses a looser gold treatment that reads almost like a signature.
The oversized gold No. 3 carries much of the emotional weight. Three weeks ago, the number identified the new quarterback. After Virginia, it carries highlights, five touchdowns, a ranked upset and the sense that West Virginia may have found a player capable of changing how opponents have to defend the entire offense.
Navy supplies the stadium-night base. Gold lettering and the number create the immediate WVU recognition. Hawkins himself occupies the middle of the composition with the football raised, making the graphic feel closer to a player-introduction poster than a generic college logo shirt.
A player-first graphic preserving Hawkins’ name, throwing pose and jersey number during the opening stretch that changed the meaning of his first season in Morgantown.
View the No. 3 piece →What Comes Next Makes the Moment More Interesting
The breakout happened before conference play had time to settle. West Virginia returns to Morgantown to face Oklahoma State on September 26, giving Hawkins another chance to prove that the Virginia performance was not one isolated spike.
That uncertainty is part of what makes September player graphics interesting. They do not commemorate a finished season. They capture the point when a fan base begins attaching expectations to a name. The player still has games to win, defenses still have adjustments to make and the season can still change direction.
The wider West Virginia Mountaineers collection tracks WVU football, Country Roads culture and current player moments, while Ellie Shirt’s NCAA collection places Hawkins inside the broader 2026 college-football conversation.
Because this story is specifically about one player, readers can also follow the evolving Michael Hawkins Jr. search archive, where future No. 3 graphics can sit beside this first breakout-era piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Michael Hawkins Jr. do against Virginia?
Hawkins threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 123 yards and three scores in West Virginia’s 38–27 win over No. 25 Virginia.
Why was the Virginia game important for West Virginia?
The victory moved WVU to 3–0 for the first time since 2018 and gave the Mountaineers a ranked win built around Hawkins accounting for all five touchdowns.
What awards did Michael Hawkins Jr. receive after the game?
He was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week.
What number does Michael Hawkins Jr. wear for West Virginia?
Hawkins wears No. 3, which is why the oversized gold 3 is one of the central visual elements in the Ellie Shirt design.
Where did Michael Hawkins Jr. play before West Virginia?
He transferred to West Virginia from Oklahoma before the 2026 season and entered Rich Rodriguez’s offense as a redshirt sophomore quarterback.
The Michael Hawkins Jr. graphic captures the beginning of that association, while the West Virginia Mountaineers archive keeps the player moment connected to the larger Morgantown football culture around it.
Michael Hawkins Jr. Shirt captures West Virginia’s breakout No. 3 quarterback during a 3–0 start highlighted by his five-touchdown upset of ranked Virginia and rise into the national college-football conversation.