Cam Ward just thwarted all sorts of prejudice and squared up to every recruit rating service and their proponents. From a 0-star prospect to the 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft – his tryst with defying the system is complete. A lower star rating sure doesn’t mean you’re sub-par. However, there’s a flipside to this. The inverse is also true. Being rated 5-stars out of high school doesn’t necessarily translate to a seamless, productive career on the collegiate level, let alone the NFL. Among plenty of such examples, Jackson Arnold is unfortunately one of them. That 5-star promise hasn’t quite panned out yet. Not necessarily down to him, since the circumstances around him haven’t been ideal. But heavy is the head that wears the proverbial crown.
After a relatively underwhelming stint in Norman with Oklahoma, Jackson Arnold has moved across to SEC contemporaries Auburn via the transfer portal. On the surface level, this represents a regressive, backward step. He’s going from being QB1 at a blueblood program to one that’s perpetually been in the shadow of in-state Alabama. The Loveliest Village on the Plains hasn’t really had much love in reciprocation over the years. That said, Arnold’s choices were limited. After being the backup to Dillon Gabriel in 2023, Arnold didn’t exactly take his shot at the starting role by the scruff of the neck. 4 games into the ‘24 season, he got unceremoniously benched. He did get back in later, but the relationship and dynamic with OU were clearly fractured. A change of scenery was requisite, and he’s now an Auburn Tiger. So what’s the expectation? A national analyst broke it down.
Just to contextualize what kind of season Arnold’s coming off, the Sooners had the worst passing offense in the entire conference last season. Conceded, this wasn’t all down to him. He had a very porous offensive line in front, and the receiving corps didn’t help the cause either. That said, Jackson Arnold’s fingerprints were still at the scene of the crime. That high school tape and reputation are still vividly projected in the minds of some, clouding the judgment around his imminent Auburn tenure. However, Analyst J.D. PicKell is moving ahead with very tempered expectations. He doesn’t think Arnold needs to be a force multiplier who needs to accentuate his supporting cast and weapons. Doesn’t need to be the driving force, which his 5-star talent would suggest. PicKell reckons Arnold simply needs to keep it clean and progressive. Dial back the magic in favor of surgical efficiency.
Auburn QB Jackson Arnold mentioned that adversity at Oklahoma led to him wanting to transfer to Auburn. pic.twitter.com/zBVHh525nI
— College Sports Network (@CFN365) April 12, 2025
Speaking over the On3, J.D. PicKell said the following about what he wants to see from Jackson Arnold in 2025: “Jackson Arnold…You’re not [in Auburn] to be the life of the party. You’re there to make it all go. Get it to Cam Coleman. Get it to Eric Singleton. If you can be the five-star that you were… amazing. We’ll take it. More power to you. But quite frankly, I would settle for a 5:1 touchdown-interception ratio. That’ll get it done,” he remarked.
Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. are wide receivers who can make things happen after the catch. Merely getting the football to them is enough for that Tigers offense to put up points. Jackson himself wouldn’t want this sort of patronizing, but PicKell’s not being unfair. However, he did warn Jackson about not getting too comfortable in riding the coattails of his wideouts.
“Now, I’m not saying [Jackson Arnold] can be pedestrian. I’m not saying he can go out there and be a game manager. But I am saying, in this offense, [if] you make the right decision [and] don’t turn it over? You don’t throw 9-10 picks? [Auburn] should win a lot of football games,” remarked PicKell.
Arnold threw for 12 TDs and 3 INTs in his limited playtime last season. So, turning the football over isn’t really a theme here. Perhaps Jackson just needs to continue tracking along the same lines with a little bump in juice and vim. More house calls and, all of a sudden, the dots start connecting. His head coach, Hugh Freeze, sure will hope that’s the case. Because if there’s one thing he can’t afford in what is already a precarious season to head into, it’s issues at the quarterback spot. He’s already up against it.
Hugh Freeze’s future with Auburn is intrinsically linked to how Jackson Arnold performs
Hugh Freeze has been at Auburn for merely 2 seasons. However, back-to-back sub-.500 seasons mean he’s already on the chopping block. The Auburn brass wouldn’t think twice before pulling the trigger on his buy-out if things continue trending in this vein. With this simmering underneath, Mike Bratton aka SEC Mike of the That SEC Podcast, brought down the hammer on Coach Freeze.
In his post-spring SEC power rankings, Mike has Auburn down at No.10. He acknowledges that, were this to really transpire, Hugh Freeze will be gone. “Auburn – playoffs or bust, right?” he asked rhetorically. “But can Hugh Freeze get you there? I sure as h–l don’t think so. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but I feel like I’ve been vindicated on every Hugh Freeze [opinion] up to this point.” SEC Mike didn’t hold back on letting off another indicting take on the 55-year-old. “If [Auburn] had a qualified head coach, if [they] had an elite head coach, maybe this team could make a playoff run,” he resounded. Ouch.
Jackson Arnold doesn’t just need to play well to boost his eminence or even NFL stock. He needs to play well to save his head coach’s job. No pressure, eh. It’ll be fascinating to see how Arnold takes to this challenge. Whether he sinks or swims. Within him exists a top-end talent who boasts a very high ceiling. But chasing the ceiling can often mean the floor bottoms out, something J.D. PicKell implied as well. It’ll be up to Hugh Freeze and offensive coordinator Derrick Nix to strike a balance.
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