Eric Morris Says Oklahoma State Is Seeing 'The Birth of Another Star' in Caleb Hawkins

The hype surrounding Caleb Hawkins continues to grow.

This time, it's coming directly from his head coach.

Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris offered perhaps his strongest praise yet for Hawkins during an interview with ESPNU at Big 12 Media Days.

One detail about the Cowboys' star running back immediately stood out.

Hawkins has added 22 pounds of muscle.

"The cool thing about Caleb, he's never had an offseason," Morris said. "From a small town, three-sport athlete. He's gained 22 pounds of muscle, he's gotten faster. So, I just think we're seeing the born of another star."

Think about that for a moment.

Hawkins produced one of the best freshman seasons in college football before ever experiencing a true offseason dedicated entirely to football.

Now, he's bigger.

According to Morris, he's faster.

The coach who watched Hawkins develop at North Texas believes the country may be watching another star emerge.

At this point, Hawkins' offseason recognition has become difficult to ignore.

Pro Football Focus has him as the highest-graded returning running back in college football after Hawkins earned a 94.1 rushing grade in 2025. PFF also credited him with 86 missed tackles forced, a top-five mark nationally.

Hawkins rushed for 1,431 yards and led the FBS with 25 rushing touchdowns as a true freshman.

He has since earned Walter Camp preseason All-America recognition and became Oklahoma State's highest-rated player in EA Sports College Football 27.

I've written before that, at some point, this stops feeling like offseason hype.

Morris' latest comments only add to that belief.

Hawkins grew up in El Dorado Springs, Missouri, and competed in multiple sports before arriving at North Texas.

He didn't spend years specializing as a running back.

He wasn't going through college football offseason programs before his breakout season.

He simply arrived and produced.

Now, Oklahoma State gets to see what Hawkins looks like after having months to specifically develop his body and his game for football.

That's what makes the 22-pound muscle gain so interesting.

Hawkins was already difficult to tackle.

PFF's missed-tackle numbers prove that.

If he has maintained or improved his speed while adding that size, Big 12 defenders could be dealing with an even more physically developed version of the player who dominated the American Conference.

There will still be questions about the jump in competition.

Big 12 defensive fronts are different.

The athletes are bigger.

The pursuit speed is faster.

Hawkins will enter the season with opposing defenses already aware of what he can do.

He isn't surprising anyone anymore.

Hawkins also isn't entering the Big 12 as the same player who rushed for more than 1,400 yards last season.

That's the part Morris seems most excited about.

Oklahoma State already knew it was getting one of college football's most productive running backs.

Now, Morris believes Hawkins has used his first true offseason to become an even better athlete.

Twenty-two pounds of muscle.

More speed.

One of the nation's most productive running backs already returning to the field.

Eric Morris called it the birth of another star.

After everything Caleb Hawkins has already accomplished, Oklahoma State may still only be seeing the beginning.