ATLANTA (EETV) – Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze was first to the podium Tuesday morning at SEC Media Days, and it was quickly clear that most of the questions directed at Coach Freeze were going to be about his new quarterback, Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold.
A former top 10 overall recruit and consensus five-star prospect, Arnold entered the 2024 season as next in the line of great Oklahoma quarterbacks. However, the season did not go as planned for the sophomore.
Arnold threw for just 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. The subpar performance would lead to a stint on the bench behind freshman Michael Hawkins Jr in the middle of the season, a new low for the former top prospect.
So, why would Coach Freeze go after a player that was benched mid-season to be his star quarterback for the 2025 season?
“It goes back to his high school days truthfully for me, that’s where it began,” Coach Freeze said. “I, like everyone else, wanted him. I thought he was super talented. There’s a reason he was Gatorade Player of the Year and a five-star quarterback so you see all of that, then you go in your mind to ok, the lack of production at Oklahoma has to be at least dealt with in your mind. Then you go study all of that, and you find out the facts were they unfortunately had a lot of injuries, both offensive line and receivers.”
As Coach Freeze said, the Sooner offense was decimated by injuries last season. Oklahoma’s top six receivers all missed significant time, with multiple wideouts missing the entire season, including projected top receiver Nic Anderson. That, combined with the offensive line struggles, put Arnold in one of the toughest situations in the SEC. However, Coach Freeze was still impressed with Arnold despite the struggles.
“I think that [the injuries] affected Jackson’s play, but you see his toughness all throughout the year, especially the Alabama game where he really just played one tough football game.”
That Alabama game was Oklahoma’s signature win in 2024, dominating the Crimson Tide 24-3 to end Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes. Arnold completed 81% of his passes in the game for 68 yards, admittedly not a world-beating performance. However, he added 131 yards rushing, frequently keeping Sooner drives alive and gutting out tough plays with his running ability.
The final piece of the puzzle for Arnold was his scheme fit, something especially vital for quarterbacks. And, according to Coach Freeze, the transfer should be right at home.
“You combine that [Arnold’s toughness] with the system I want to run, and does he have the skillset for that, there’s no question in my mind that he does. That’s why we went after Jackson.”
Arnold will make his first start at quarterback for the Tigers on Aug. 29 in Waco, Texas against Baylor as Auburn looks to start the season 1-0 on the road in an environment that will be an instant and difficult test for both Arnold and the rest of the offense.
