Michigan State commit Tristan Comer claims seventh annual Hawkins Award

SAGINAW, MI – Tristan Comer followed one celebration Wednesday with another Thursday.

The first was for his college. The second was for his high school.

Comer, a Freeland lineman, claimed the seventh annual Hawkins Award at the Saginaw Club. The award is given to the top Saginaw County senior football player based on athletic ability, academics and community involvement.

Thursday’s Hawkins Award came after Wednesday’s NCAA football signing day. Comer committed to play for Michigan State University, which fired Jonathan Smith, the coach who recruited Comer. The Spartans hired former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to take over the program.

“I definitely wanted to know who the coach was before I signed, but when it really came down to it, I love the people, the facilities and the academics at MSU,” Comer said. “I obviously love Coach Smith, but there were so many great things about MSU that whether or not Fitz was signed, I was still going to go.

“And Coach Fitz being signed is an amazing thing. He’s going to be great for MSU and great for my development.”

Comer became the seventh Saginaw County senior to win the Hawkins Award and second Freeland player, joining 2022 winner Gabe Blanchard. Freeland’s Zander Wheatley and Nouvel Catholic Central’s John Carlson finished as 2025 runners-up.

“All of them deserve the award … what they’ve accomplished is just amazing,” Freeland coach Kevin Townsend said. “With Tristan, it’s just a balance of everything.

“He doesn’t want to take the easy way out. As far as his Michigan State recruitment, they did their homework for that aspect, too. That includes his classroom work. Every single thing he does, he tries to raise the bar to the next level and the challenges that go with it.”

Comer, who has committed to MSU as an offensive lineman, was named the MLive Saginaw Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound lineman, who carries a 4.06 grade-point average, led the Falcons with 61 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss and three sacks.

He was also an MLive Saginaw Dream Team basketball player as a junior. Comer has scored more than 1,000 points for the basketball team and could hit 1,000 rebounds this season.

The potential for a memorable basketball season swayed Comer’s decision to stay at Freeland instead of graduating early from high school and enrolling at MSU in January.

“I’ve spent three years playing basketball at Freeland, helping build a championship program,” Comer said. “We just returned 12 guys, and they’ve really made Freeland feel like home for me.

“So I’m going to stick with it, and I’m going to finish out the season with them. Then I get a new home at Michigan State.”

Moving to basketball forced Comer to make some caloric adjustments. He began his junior season of football at 235 pounds but added weight when he made the move to offensive lineman from tight end.

He finished the football season at 280 pounds but has dropped to 265 for basketball.

“I’ve been bouncing up and down with my weight the whole year,” Comer said. “Now I’m back to 265, so I can get up and down the court and dunk.

“If I put on a bunch of weight really fast, then it’s more fat and I feel sluggish. But it’s not super hard for me to lose that and put on muscle. The muscle goes on a little slower, but the weight still goes up, and I feel really good.”

Comer is the son of former Arthur Hill football coach and Saginaw Valley State University kicker Jim Comer and former Birch Run three-sport athlete Jennifer (Howell) Comer, who played softball at SVSU.

“Tristan is such a humble kid,” Townsend said. “He was homecoming king, which should also tell you that the other kids like him. It says something when your peers enjoy being with you.

“Zander fits in with that, and I’m sure John does too. There are some kids that are cut from the same cloth that they don’t have things handed to them. They’re willing to work for whatever they earn.”

Comer will head to a MSU football team that already features the 2024 Hawkins Award winner, Frankenmuth grad Derrick Simmons.

“Winning this is absolutely amazing,” Comer said. “It’s a representation of the beliefs of Saginaw and the beliefs of my community. I’m extremely honored to be able to represent that.”

The Saginaw Club also honored the top senior football student athletes from each Saginaw County school, including Hugh Tanner, Birch Run; Markeece Jackson, Bridgeport; Tori Rueda, Carrollton; Blake Hoerner, Chesaning; Lleyton Hoard, Frankenmuth; Steven Katzenberger, Hemlock; Connor Greif, Heritage; Harry Ayotte, Merrill; Noah Reif, Michigan Lutheran Seminary; Mel Washington, Saginaw United; Jake Kubik, St. Charles; Jamison Pelt, Swan Valley; and Cole Strieter, Valley Lutheran.