Rich Rodriguez says WVU has two quarterbacks capable of starting
West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez believes the Mountaineers are in a much better spot at quarterback entering his second season in Morgantown.
In an interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Rodriguez said the competition between Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins and returning quarterback Scotty Fox has pushed both players throughout the spring and given the Mountaineers two options he feels comfortable with entering the season.
Mike Hawkins has impressed since arriving
West Virginia entered the offseason knowing it needed to add competition at quarterback after dealing with injuries and inconsistency at the position last year.
Rodriguez said the coaching staff identified Hawkins as somebody who checked the boxes both physically and mentally after entering the transfer portal from Oklahoma.
“We got Mike Hawkins, and I had seen him play a little bit and there was some body of work to judge him on, but also kind of thinking, I think this guy, he’s got an edge to him, wanting to prove himself kind of deal,” Rodriguez said. “And he’s got all the skill set that we need.”
According to Rodriguez, Hawkins has delivered even more than expected since getting to campus.
“And so he came here and then he’s been everything we thought and then some,” he said.
Rodriguez also praised Hawkins for how quickly he has picked up the offense during spring workouts.
“Mike’s a fast learner, fast processor,” Rodriguez said.
Scotty Fox continues to develop
While Hawkins arrived through the transfer portal, Rodriguez made it clear that Fox remains firmly in the mix after gaining valuable experience as a freshman.
“Scotty Fox was coming back. He’s a talented freshman that got some really good experience and we are really excited for him,” Rodriguez said.
Fox saw action late last season after the Mountaineers battled injuries at quarterback and Rodriguez believes the added experience has helped accelerate his development heading into Year 2 in the system.
Rodriguez said the competition between Fox and Hawkins has elevated the entire room.
“And then Scotty’s [played well], so the competition between both of those guys has elevated … to the point where I feel we’ve got two guys right now that I would jump out there to be a starting quarterback and be good with,” Rodriguez said.
Offense expected to take a step forward
Rodriguez believes the quarterback room is one of several reasons West Virginia should look improved offensively this season.
The veteran coach pointed to better depth, more experience and improved play up front as key differences compared to where the Mountaineers stood this time a year ago.
“We’re more talented now, certainly than we were at this time last year,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also noted the impact offensive line coach Rick Trickett has already made on the offense as West Virginia continues working toward building the physical identity he wants for the program.
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