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Jackson Arnold left Oklahoma after his sophomore season for a new home at Auburn. That decision was not an easy one.
The quarterback left his girlfriend behind, as well as friendships developed with teammates over the two seasons prior. In the end, he believes it was the right call.
Life as a college passer at a top-flight football program is not easy. Expectations for Arnold were sky high upon signing with the Sooners. Unfortunately, he could not live up to the lofty projections.
Who is Jackson Arnold?
The former five-star signal caller was considered a Top 10 prospect ahead of his freshman year at Oklahoma. He was the top recruit in the state of Texas.
He appeared in seven games as a rookie, throwing four touchdowns and three picks as Dillon Gabriel’s backup. He earned the keys to the offense in Year 2 after Gabriel transferred to Oregon.
The Sooners were fresh off a 10-win campaign. Excitement for the future was high, even with Arnold still unproven. The offense fell flat.
Oklahoma ranked 97th in the nation in scoring at 24 points per game. Arnold was benched midway through the season. While he later regained the starting job, he decided that Norman was not the place for him.
Ain’t no love in Oklahoma.
The quarterback left the Sooners for SEC rival Auburn. Jackson Arnold’s dad sat down with George Stoia of Sooners Scoop in September to talk about what went down behind the scenes before the move to the Plains.
Many things went into the decision. Todd Arnold even warned his son that “the grass isn’t always greener.”
The passer weighed his options. The pros for staying put? Personal relationships, most notably one with his long-time girlfriend.
The cons? A new offensive coordinator, another quarterback competition, and walking amongst a student body that had turned against him.
“He weighed everything. The culmination of everything that happened — the injuries, the offensive struggles. The fact you’re going to have your fourth offensive coordinator in three years, whether you stay or whether you go. And also, some of the toxic things that were said to him, mostly by students on campus, and that’s kind of hard to brush aside.
“It’s easy to tell someone, ‘Just don’t listen.’ But he’s 20 years old. He’s going to listen to stuff like that. I think, unfortunately, he didn’t see a future down the road at Oklahoma.”
-Todd Arnold
The signal caller’s father said the situation at Oklahoma was toxic, made worse by criticism from his peers. So, Arnold left.
He immediately began looking for a good fit at a top school that offered an opportunity to start right away. He also wanted a coach with a strong history of QB development and a team that returned a solid core.
Auburn checked the boxes. He joined the roster in the offseason.
His girlfriend still attends Oklahoma, but Arnold is thriving with the Tigers. Through three games, he’s thrown for 501 yards and four scores while adding another quartet of touchdowns on the ground.
The Sooners are doing just fine after the split, too, while being guided by Arnold’s replacement John Mateer. The two SEC rivals will face off in Week 4 to open conference play.