You almost have to feel bad for Jackson Arnold. He came to Oklahoma with all the hype in the world—Gatorade Player of the Year, the future of the program. Instead, he got tossed in the fire and left out to burn. Now he’s trying to rebuild his career at Auburn. But not everyone’s sure if he can even bounce back. 

Spectators will say it’s not all Jackson Arnold’s fault at OU. Even Sooners Wire John Williams said it plainly—“The 2024 season wasn’t all on Arnold. The circumstances the offense was dealing with this season weren’t conducive to a young quarterback’s development.” The setup was dismal, and that blame is creeping up on the Sooners’ HC, Brent Venables. 

On a new episode of The Barn on April 28, Kyle Rush replayed a clip of a bombshell that former Auburn player and current ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic dropped regarding Jackson Arnold. He replayed a convo he had with Greg McElroy on their McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning show about whether the QB can deliver at Auburn. “I’m pretty hard on what Jackson was last year, and Greg’s a little more forgiving, and he said, he goes, ‘The thing that you need to think about that I don’t think you think about is it’s hard playing quarterback for a defensive-minded head coach.’” Because when your HC is built like Brent Venables, who was a DC for nearly two decades across Oklahoma and Clemson, the constant message is this—“Don’t f— up,” as Cubelic revealed.

“‘Whatever you do, don’t screw this up.’ I had never thought of it, and I had never heard him say it.” If that were true, no wonder Arnold played tight all year. “Would Lane Kiffin ever say anything like that to a quarterback? Lincoln Riley, would Steve Sarkisian in their last dying days ever say something like that to a quarterback? Hell to the nah,” Cubelic added.

As a defensive-minded coach, Brent Venables handled the offense like it was radioactive. Midseason, he benched Jackson Arnold for Michael Hawkins Jr., and things went into a downward spiral from there. Arnold didn’t even suit up when Oklahoma squeaked past his future program, Auburn 27-21, in late September. His final numbers—1,421 yards and 12 TDs—became a scar on his resume. 

It got even uglier when Jackson Arnold burned his redshirt. Brent Venables yanked him back into the starting lineup against Ole Miss after declaring OU would likely redshirt him. Hawkin’s redshirt was also burned, and all for a season where the Sooners scratched out barely six wins. Two promising QBs, two wasted years of eligibility, and an offense that felt like a horror movie. No wonder that last season in Oklahoma left a bad mark on Jackson Arnold, even before his season began in Auburn. 

Will Jackson Arnold deliver in Auburn?

A tricky question with divided opinions. What’s Jackson Arnold’s fate in Auburn? Greg McElroy isn’t feeling so optimistic. “I think he is damaged right now,” he said. “No one can deny that. He was absolutely a damaged player last year, and it is going to take a while to get things rolling.” But there’s still some light beyond the tunnel for Arnold. Both he and Auburn needed each other after the Tigers lost their former QB, Payton Thorne, and he needed a fresh start. 

Auburn HC Hugh Freeze wasted no time hyping him up and believing in him. “There’s a reason he was Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of high school,” he said. “I think he needed a (restart) to regain some confidence. I think he’s doing that at a fast, fast pace.” You know what they say: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and Jackson Arnold has a need to prove that in 2025 to change the narrative around him as a “damaged” player. Plus, with SEC weapons like WR Cam Coleman around and a softer SEC schedule, he’s got the pieces to shock some people. 

Circle September 20 on your calendar. Jackson Arnold will head to Norman to face his old team in his first SEC start in the Tigers’ uniform. You better believe that one’s going to be personal.