What Is It like Tackling Caleb Hawkins, Big 12 Will Soon Find Out

This fall, the Big 12 will take a crash course on what it’s like to tackle Caleb Hawkins.

It’s safe to say his teammates have spent the offseason, and in some cases the last year-plus, learning how difficult that can be.

“It is not easy,” linebacker Ethan Wesloski said. “He falls forward. He’s a heavy runner.”

Although not exactly what Wesloski meant, Hawkins is literally a heavier runner this season, adding roughly 19 pounds despite “running faster” this offseason than last. The former North Texas back from North Rock Creek High in Shawnee put himself on the map last season when he set an FBS record for freshmen with 29 touchdowns.

That also happened to be five more touchdowns than any other single player scored last season. In fact, Hawkins beat second-place scorer Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy by five touchdowns despite the fact that Lacy played in two additional games.

“I know I’m playing one of the best backs not in the Big 12, but in the country,” Wesloski said.

Wesloski got to know Hawkins last season at North Texas, and the linebacker will likely need to be one of the more successful linebackers in the conference if Oklahoma State is going to truly make some noise in the Big 12 this fall.

While neither Wesloski nor Hawkins has yet to play a snap in the conference, teammate Jaleel Johnson is perfectly capable of speaking to the Big 12’s strength as a power conference.

“He is definitely probably one of the hardest runners I’ve ever gone against in my entire career,” Johnson said of Hawkins. “If you don’t wrap his legs up, he’s not going down, and I’m so glad that he’s on our team and I don’t have to face him on Saturday.”

Johnson has faced off with several talented backs, including former Cowboy and Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon. So it’s safe to say he knows what excellence at the position looks like.

When asked if there’s a running back he would compare himself to, Hawkins suggested an active NFL legend.

“I wouldn’t necessarily compare myself to any running back because there’s a lot of great ones, but I would say my game probably replicates Derrick Henry, maybe, the most,” Hawkins said.

Henry is often praised for his relentless ability to drive forward regardless of how well the defense is positioned once he gets going.

It didn’t take long for Johnson to realize what all the hype was about this offseason.

“It was spring ball, our first scrimmage, first play, we thought we had him down,” Johnson said. “He was surrounded by like five different people and all of the sudden you see him take off down the edge, taking off down the field. So from then on, I kind of knew. Okay, this guy is legit. He is for real.”

As a defender, that play was a frustrating reminder that the Cowboys can still get better at tackling, but it wasn’t all bad.

“It gives me a lot of confidence that we can definitely be in contention for this Big 12 title this year,” Johnson said. “Seeing all our guys constantly winning. It goes back and forth. Offense wins some, defense wins some, just really competitive.”