Hawkins started his career behind junior quarterback Nate Boland but made his college football debut on September 23, 2017, in the fourth game against Nebraska Wesleyan.
In the 52–27 win over the Prairie Wolves he completed fourteen of 22 pass attempts for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
[7] In 2018, Hawkins started nine of the team's ten games; only missing time against Coe.
[8] He threw for a season-high five touchdowns on thirteen completions in fifteen attempts against Luther.
[9] In 2019, Hawkins started all twelve of the team's games including postseason matchups against No.
[16] In 2021, Hawkins played and started all thirteen games and was voted as team captain for the second time.
To begin his historic campaign, he opened the season with seven-straight wins while also not throwing a single interception.