“Everything about him (Jackson Arnold) that I’ve gotten to know over this recruiting process and through the conversations with many other people I deeply respect really excites me,” said Hugh Freeze when he swooped Jackson Arnold from the Sooners earlier in December 2024. He was also asked what is special about the player, and he said. “A winner,” he said. “He’s going to create a swagger around our offense that draws people to want to play at a higher level.” Of course, the future looked promising for Auburn as they got their QB after Payton Thorne ran out of eligibility. At least, that’s what Hugh Freeze is expecting. However, there’s a catch.
Jackson Arnold is undoubtedly a decent quarterback by many standards; furthermore, he was a sophomore in 2024. So, there’s a lot of room to improve. Furthermore, Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is also ranked 8th nationally with very high-rated 26 freshman prospects and 16 transfers. The class should definitely help him in delivering on the field. And that may be true. But the crucial question is: Will he be able to fill Thorne’s shoes? Or will he fade into oblivion like Auburn’s 2024 season?
Well, Payton Thorne played for 2 seasons at Auburn, and while he looked brilliant on many occasions. There were more hairy moments than the brilliant ones. So, it would look like Arnold doesn’t really have that high standards to match, and he can even do far better than Thorne. But Clint of Dawg Podcast doesn’t really buy that.
When asked about who he would rate better among Thorne and Arnold, his answer was plain. “I would take almost every other SEC quarterback rather than him (Arnold) today.” He added that Arnold is, although an incredibly underrated QB, still his on-field production is far lower than Thorne’s was. Thorne finished his last season with a 62.8% pass completion rate for 2,173 yards and didn’t quite hit his best in his years. But what about Arnold? Is he better?
Arnold started 9 games for the Oklahoma Sooners and threw 12 touchdowns. Moreover, his pass completion rate was at 62.6% for 1,421 yards, in which he also added 444 rushing yards. Still, the stats do not quite place him above Thorne. But what about his actual games and on-field play? Well, he does fit in the Run-Pass-Option strategy that Hugh Freeze employs, and that may have a bigger bearing than all the stats. We just have to wait and then decide on his performance. But even then, he still has someone else to worry about.
Jackson Arnold’s place as QB1 in jeopardy?
Auburn is one of the teams that have the toughest schedules in the 2025 season. They are facing Ohio State, Texas A&M, and giant killers Vanderbilt on the road. Furthermore, their home games involving Georgia and Alabama would also be quite tough. But their 2025 class has a top prospect in Deuce Knight (QB). He is a five-star rated prospect who is ranked 5th nationally in his position and promises to provide competition to Jackson Arnold in the 2025 season. But is that realistic?
Well, insider Jack Blackerby speculated on the issue. “I just can’t see a world where Jackson Arnold, barring injury, doesn’t start against Baylor. Now, the leash could be shorter if Deuce Knight is incredibly nice, but I just don’t think that’s a world where Deuce Knight can fight and win QB1, and I don’t even know if that’s about Deuce. I just think it’s about the commitment that they made to Jackson Arnold.” Even keeping the statement aside. Knight is a freshman and needs time to develop into a power player. But if Jackson Arnold doesn’t improve over the course of the season, anything is possible.
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