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Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer
Oklahoma switch quarterback Jackson Arnold has signed with Auburn, sources advised ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Max Olson on Saturday.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound sophomore has two extra seasons of eligibility. He is making a transfer throughout the SEC to assist lead a turnaround for the Tigers following a 5-7 season in Hugh Freeze’s second yr.
Freeze secured the dedication from his high goal throughout an official go to that started Thursday, three days after Arnold entered his identify within the NCAA switch portal.
The Denton, Texas, native was the No. 3 general recruit within the class of 2023 and the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior. He is the No. 4 quarterback in ESPN’s switch rankings.
Serving as Dillon Gabriel’s backup throughout his freshman season, Arnold took over as Oklahoma’s beginning quarterback forward of its Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona final December after Gabriel transferred to Oregon, and he began 10 video games for the Sooners.
Arnold produced 1,421 passing yards, 444 speeding yards, 15 complete touchdowns and three interceptions throughout a difficult season for the quarterback and this system. The preseason No. 16 Sooners went 6-6 of their first yr within the SEC and 2-6 in convention video games.
During Oklahoma’s first SEC recreation towards Tennessee, Arnold was benched by coach Brent Venables earlier than halftime after three first-half turnovers. Freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. changed him to complete the 25-15 loss, and Venables named him the starter with the hope that Hawkins “will give us a greater likelihood transferring ahead.”
Arnold didn’t play within the Sooners’ 27-21 comeback highway win at Auburn the next week, nor did he seem of their 34-3 loss to then-No. 1 Texas within the Red River Rivalry. But when Hawkins turned it over thrice within the first quarter the following week towards South Carolina, Venables went again to Arnold as his starter for the remainder of the season.
Arnold had a tough time taking part in as much as expectations in an offense that struggled with accidents and inconsistency all through the season.
Oklahoma relied on eight completely different beginning lineup combos alongside its offensive line over 12 video games, and its projected high 5 vast receivers — Deion Burks, Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony and Jayden Gibson — missed important time attributable to accidents. Anderson, Farooq and Anthony have since entered the switch portal.
The Sooners averaged 21.2 factors per recreation towards FBS opponents, second fewest amongst SEC groups, and completed among the many backside 10 within the FBS in yards per play (4.8), yards per go try (6.1) and sacks allowed (46).
Despite these issues, Oklahoma nonetheless managed to stun then-No. 7 Alabama in its dwelling finale, a 24-3 rout that ended up knocking the Crimson Tide out of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
Arnold rushed for a career-high 131 yards on 25 carries and had 68 passing yards on 9-of-11 passing within the victory, which secured bowl eligibility for the Sooners. They will play Navy within the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 27.
At Auburn, he will get a chance for a contemporary begin on a staff that’s decided to contend within the SEC in Freeze’s third season. The Tigers will lose All-SEC working again Jarquez Hunter and main receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith to the NFL however are bringing in 4 blue-chip freshman vast receivers: Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson and Bryce Cain.
Freeze was in want of a No. 1 quarterback through the portal to assist Auburn take the following large step ahead after 22-game starter Payton Thorne graduated and backups Hank Brown and Holden Geriner opted to switch. Brown has dedicated to Iowa.
The Tigers stumbled to a 2-5 begin in 2024 with 4 consecutive SEC losses earlier than preventing again to win three of their final 5, together with a 43-41 win over then-No. 15 Texas A&M in 4 overtimes. They got here up in need of bowl eligibility, dropping 28-14 at Alabama of their finale. In their seven losses, the offense averaged a mere 13.3 factors per recreation.
With Arnold now on board, Freeze and the Tigers are anticipated to be aggressive this month of their efforts to proceed upgrading the roster with switch portal additions.
Arnold’s first SEC convention recreation with the Tigers in 2025 might be a return journey to Norman to face Oklahoma on Sept. 20.
