Every team needs a good quarterback, but the reality is that good quarterbacks are becoming increasingly scarce. If only there was a tree full of quarterbacks, and every coach could pick one of their liking. But this isn’t the case. So, what Auburn Tigers and Hugh Freeze did is they shook the Oklahoma tree and landed a quarterback in Jackson Arnold. It only cost them $1.3 million in NIL money and also major doubts in the media regarding his abilities. In any case, this is a QB who, as a sophomore, passed for 1,421 yards and had a 62.6% completion rate in a season with Oklahoma in which he didn’t start all games. Does Jackson Arnold have what it takes?
Well, Jackson Arnold is a prospect of the 2023 class. A five-star prospect who had a rating of 98.94 when he joined. His NIL value was also quite high since he was reported to be around $2.1 million. The future looked bright for the player as he began a new chapter with Oklahoma. His first season saw him sitting on the bench for the most part as Dillon Gabriel had the QB1 spot but started one game against Arizona in the Valero Alamo Bowl, which ended in a loss. In his 2024 season, where he was the starter for most games, he didn’t quite perform on his level, as the season was nothing less than a tragedy for the Sooners. Then came Auburn calling.
Naturally, with this level of uncertainty and underperformance, there will be questions for a quarterback. The questions range from: will the offense provide enough for him? Or the major one: Is Jackson the perfect guy for Hugh Freeze’s additions? The whole story is quite different. Cody Bellaire, ON3’s national scout, talks about the optimism surrounding Jackson Arnold and how, this season, he could change his fortunes.
“Honestly, there’s a ton of potential for this offense next season. They added one of the most sought-after wide receivers in the country, and they added two new offensive linemen to come in and compete for starting jobs. Jackson Arnold needs, in order to reach his potential, for his team to stay healthy and build consistency if he can take reps with the same front five in front of him so he can stop seeing ghosts coming off the edge and feeling phantom pressure. If he can actually build a rapport with his receiver unit that isn’t a bunch of banged-up second and third stringers, this guy has a real shot at becoming a breakout player for Auburn in 2025.”
Well, the good news is that Hugh Freeze is hell-bent on improving on his other disappointing season that ended 5-7 overall. He has roped in some of the best prospects to supplement the offense. One of the biggest and probably the most talked-about difference makers he signed is the wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. This is a player who was just phenomenal with his team last year, as he posted a second consecutive season of 700+ receiving yards at an impressive average of 15 yards per reception. Then there are other players, too.
Players like Horatio Fields (WR) and Xavier Chaplin (OT) will be the difference makers in the squad. Fields just had a decent season with the Wake Forest Demons, as he garnered 463 yards in receptions at an average of 11.9. He will improve in his sophomore year now and will be one of the standout prospects for the upcoming season. Xavier Chaplin is also an exciting prospect who has joined from Virginia Tech Hokies and has an NIL value of $1.7 million. He is quite talented in many respects. At 6 feet 6 and weighing around 312 lb, he will be a tank in the O line. The future looks bright for the QB now, but there will be some challenges, too. Former Alabama QB and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy posed one of the major questions.
Jackson Arnold urged to emulate Spencer Rattler by a former Alabama QB legend
We all know about Spencer Rattler, a player who sure had it tough at Oklahoma. In the 2020 season, the player lit up the fields as he delivered 3,031 passing yards for a 67.5% pass completion rate with 28 touchdowns. Then came the 2021 season, and his yardage dropped to 1,483 yards. We all know he had to seek out a transfer after that to South Carolina.
But, in South Carolina, he made a comeback, which could even be adapted into a movie, as he finished two consecutive seasons with more than 3,000+ yards and a 68% passing rate in his last year. This was a redemption arc that college football still remembers. He then joined the New Orleans Saints on a $4.3 million contract. Jackson Arnold is challenged and dubbed to follow Rattler’s footsteps by ESPN analyst and former Alabama QB Greg McElroy.
“Jackson Arnold came to college as the number three overall prospect in the 2023 class. What I would say about Jackson Arnold is that we have seen this before. Do you not remember just a couple of years ago, in 2021, there was a young man by the name of Spencer Rattler who had lit the world on fire in 2020? He was amazing, was great, and then going into 2021, he lost all of his confidence. I think that’s what they’re hoping for with Jackson Arnold because it’s not about talent. It’s never been about talent with Jackson Arnold. It’s about playing with confidence and making great decisions.”
Well, with his recent statement, Greg McElroy is challenging Arnold to emulate Spencer Rattler and make a comeback that would be remembered for years to come. Jackson has all the ingredients to do just that at Auburn, and now it remains to be seen if he lights up the fields as Spencer Rattler did at USC.
The post Jackson Arnold’s Auburn Future Hangs in the Balance as Hugh Freeze’s Star Warned of $4.3M QB’s Dark Fate appeared first on EssentiallySports.