If it seems like West Virginia quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. is playing like one of the best signal callers in the country, well, that's because he is. According to the talent evaluators over at PFF, Hawkins has the ninth-highest grade among quarterbacks this season.

Top graded QBs in the country, per Pro Football Focus

No. 1: Darian Mensah (Miami) - 92.4
No. 2: Gio Lopez (Wake Forest) - 91.6
No. 3: Sam Leavitt (LSU) -91.0
No. 4: Jayden Maiava (USC) - 90.3
No. 5: Gunner Stockton (Georgia) - 90.1
No. 6: Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State) - 89.0
No. 7: Noah Fifita (Arizona) - 88.9
No. 8: Keelon Russell (Alabama) - 88.7
No. 9: Mike Hawkins Jr. (West Virginia) - 88.3
No. 10: Devon Dampier (Utah) - 87.9

The elite runner

Much is made of his ability to run the ball, and rightfully so. Heck, he leads the entire nation (running backs included) in rushing touchdowns with 16 and is 11th nationally in rushing yards (836). Hawkins is a tough tackle in the open field, often shaking guys out of their cleats. For the season, he has created 44 missed tackles forced while also showing off the ability to get yards after contact (620).

Don't sleep on the arm, though

But don't overlook his arm. Hawkins is currently leading the country in yards per completion (17.8) and leading the Big 12 in yards per attempt (10.1) and adjusted yards gained per pass attempt (10.8).

To use a PFF term here, Hawkins also has the sixth-most "big-time throws" in the country (15), sitting behind only Isaiah Marshall (Kansas), Kalieb Osborne (UConn), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), John Alan Richter (Toledo), and Devon Dampier (Utah). Of those quarterbacks, he has the second-fewest turnover-worthy plays (4) and has the highest drop percentage (10.9%), so he would be connecting on even more of those if his receivers were a little more consistent.

His 56% completion percentage can't be looked at the same way everyone else's is. He throws the deep ball (20+ yards) more often than anyone in college football, with 30.2% of his throws registering that depth. If you're not dinking and dunking like most quarterbacks are, you're not hitting 70% of your throws.

Hawkins will likely end the season in the top 10 and will be widely viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the country entering 2027. West Virginia has to do everything it can to keep him in Morgantown.