Jackson Arnold’s time at Oklahoma was far from the expectations. The hype around him created an image of him as the program’s next torchbearer after Dillon Gabriel left for Oregon. But sadly, Arnold suffered a series of setbacks in his freshman season, that made one thing clear—Oklahoma wasn’t a good fit for the QB. Now at Auburn, under Hugh Freeze, can Arnold rise back to his former glory, and live up to those past hypes? To do that, he has to work on one critical aspect of himself.
Jackson Arnold was the No. 1 QB out of Texas when Brent Venables recruited him. In 2024, he replaced Gabriel, who left camp. But while the latter established himself as one of the best QBs in the nation, Arnold faltered gravely. The Sooners lost to Ole Miss 14-26, where Arnold was sacked 9 times. Arnold tended to be prone to turnovers easily and struggled to rush past defenses down the field. In the Bowl game, Arnold threw three interceptions. They are the only INTs from his 2024 season, which also has 1,421 passing yards and 12 TDs. Now on a new pasture, what does Arnold have to do to get back up and running? Locked On Sooners’ host John Williams still has strong faith in the QB.
According to him, Arnold’s loss was just part of an entirely unproductive Sooners offense. He said on a May 9 episode of Locked On SEC, “I think what happened in 2024, offensive line, so many injuries that you’re down to your three deep. Wide receiver issues, so many injuries that you’re down to your three deep. That’s not an adequate place to be if you’re trying to develop a quarterback.” Expected star Jayden Gibson went down with a season-ending injury, along with Deion Burks, who featured quite a lot on the field during the Sooners’ initial phase. Men continued to go down, and the job fell on freshmen Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney, Jacob Jordan, and Ivan Carreon. The O-line, on the other hand, was making 3.85 sacks per game, ranking them 130th out of 133 in the country.
Arnold, however, also has to improve his own game. “It’s about the mental aspect. Can he bounce back mentally from what was a really, really rough season?” Williams noted. He noted the mistakes he made in his previous games, like the fumbles in the Tennessee and Ole Miss games, which showed where he lacks. “It’s those kinds of things, where if he can correct those and he gets a little bit of help from people around him, then I think he has the chance to be pretty good. But it’s just a matter, I think, of the mental. I still think he’s got the tools to be a dynamic player,” Williams added.
His physical gifts were never the issue. Hugh Freeze has a talented starting quarterback candidate in Arnold. But his lack of mental awareness is a problem that can pose a serious threat, which was also noted by another expert.
Hugh Freeze has to take up responsibility in building Jackson Arnold
Analyst Cole Cubelic had no complaints about the QB’s physical prowess. “All the talent’s there. He can make every throw. Great mobility. […] He can break you down that way and we all know that opens up so much more offensively,” he said on the Crain and Company podcast. But, like Williams highlighted, the mind is where Arnold’s problems lie. “I just wonder mentally, emotionally if he’s going to be able to get over that hump.”
Arnold also lacked good coaching, as did his backup, Michael Hawkins. Seth Littrell was fired midseason, and Brent Arbuckle came in. He’s a good coach, but the team didn’t have much time to start anew under his guidance when the season was in full swing. Which is where Hugh Freeze’s role becomes crucial. “He needs to be rewired. He’s going to have to be coached, coached hard, and he’s going to have to take the coaching and work his way into this system if it’s really going to go,” Cubelic noted.
Arnold has the spirit and the goods to do significantly better than last year. “I think he just needs confidence, and I think that confidence grew this spring,” Freeze said about Arnold’s development. He also said that for Arnold’s test of this improvement will come when they get to the season. With all this in play, will Arnold finally find steady ground at Auburn to become an emerging name in college football this season?
The post Major Doubts Loom Over Jackson Arnold’s Auburn Future as Hugh Freeze Warned of Ex-Oklahoma QB’s Haunting Past appeared first on EssentiallySports.