The ongoing ballad of Jackson Arnold
Jackson Arnold, failed Sooner quarterback, has some power in his hands.
Not necessarily for his own benefit, though it might work out the way. Instead, he has the power to shape some serious thinking about the way we view Sooner football and the transfer portal, too.
Perhaps name, image and likeness — NIL — earnings, as well, yet because we’re mostly not privy to how each FBS program doles out its collective NIL dough, at least not yet, ignorance may continue to reign there.
As you may know, Arnold is headed to Auburn, no ifs ands or buts. Indeed, ESPN reported Saturday morning he’d not only committed to the Tigers out of the transfer portal, but signed with them already and it must be true because Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was already out with quotes on the pickup.
“The fit he is for our offense and for Auburn, I couldn’t be more excited,” Freeze said. “He’s a dual threat guy who understands the RPO system extremely well and throws the deep ball extremely well.”
High praise for a guy who lost his starting job in the middle of the season to Michael Hawkins in large part due to breakdowns in his RPO — run-pass option — decision making.
High praise for a guy who almost never threw deep this season at Oklahoma, though others may be to blame.
High praise for a guy who put together a 142.7 passer rating as a backup freshman and 124.8 as a starting sophomore, who also ranked fifth in the nation with nine fumbles despite playing less than a full season because Hawkins took his job for a bit.
Nonetheless, Auburn wanted him, appears to feel pretty good about landing him and, barring injury, there’s every reason to believe Arnold will be the Tigers’ starting quarterback against his old Sooner team next Sept. 20 in Norman.
It’s a predicament that could expose Brent Venables’ head coaching acumen, three seasons into his Sooner tenure at least.
Also one that justifies the transfer portal’s existence as beneficial to many players’ developmental prowess, rather than simply being a weigh station of hard feelings, lack of commitment and discipline and wanting to be paid.
With no real plan to pursue 2023 starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s return on the off chance he chose not to declare for the NFL draft, the Sooners seemed thrilled to move on to Arnold, a first-year starter, even as they hired an offensive coordinator in Seth Littrell with no real history as a quarterbacks coach; nor any real quarterbacks coach to aid Littrell and Arnold’s development; even leaving Kevin Johns, who did have a quarterback coaching history, in his analyst’s role despite NCAA rule changes allowing analysts to double as in-practice and in-game helpers.
It was only after jettisoning Littrell that Johns was elevated to the sideline and, what do you know, with Joe Jon Finley calling the plays and Johns available, Arnold took a few steps forward.
And maybe because OU did Arnold no real favors — and receivers were injured and never came back and the line was for so long in shambles — Arnold did few favors for the Sooners, rarely appearing comfortable as he became a turnover machine.
And given all that, and a fresh new start, perhaps he’ll be just what the doctor ordered at Auburn.
I hope so.
Not because it would shine a spotlight on Sooner ineptitude, though it would. I hope Arnold shines at Auburn because I’d prefer ever player’s story be a good one.
Or, maybe, Arnold will only expose himself, because it’s not like he played well this season and it’s not like he doesn’t still have two years to make something of himself and it’s not like he wouldn’t have the opportunity to become the Sooners’ next starting quarterback all over again because one thing OU can’t afford to do is play somebody who doesn’t give it the best chance to win.
Maybe all of that because the heat became too hot, and Arnold would rather start over elsewhere, perhaps with a raise despite his failures, than work and fight through it, a state of affairs emblematic of a player who’ll never reach his full potential, mental toughness being in short supply.
Unless OU’s the real villain in his story and he really should be anywhere else.
I hope Arnold finds his mojo again, and I’d prefer, even should Venables be exposed for previous handling of his offense and quarterbacks, he find a way to iron out future snafus before they occur.
Still, because we’re all interested in the answers, we’ll be keeping one eye on Jackson Arnold, even though he’s gone.
There is every possibility that arnold will do fine at a new school with a HC who better understands QB development. If Auburn has a better OL and can give the protection needed, and multiple WRs, it's a good chance that arnold CAN actually pass. But this will always lead straight back to venables, his quick release of Dillon Gabriel and handing of the program to an untested sophomore. Then his inability to provide a reasonable platform for said QB. The question with arnold is whether he'll ever figure out how to hold onto the ball. In essence, the season was a huge waste for one of OU's better defenses.