Hugh Freeze Announces Backup Plan for Jackson Arnold After Admitting One Big QB Mistake

Auburn rolls into Saturday’s matchup with Ball State as clear favorites, and that could open the door for some new names to shine. The spotlight, of course, falls on the QBs. Jackson Arnold has the starting job locked down, but the real intrigue is who is the no.2 QB. That’s a twist from Hugh Freeze’s preseason approach, when he kept the backup spot a mystery. But now, with a lopsided game on deck, Tiger fans might finally get their first real clue.

Remember, earlier this summer, Hugh Freeze even suggested Auburn could roll out all three scholarship QBs in the season opener at Baylor. But that didn’t happen, and now the tone has shifted. Entering Week 2 and the Tigers’ home debut, Freeze has finally revealed his backup plan behind Jackson Arnold. If Auburn takes care of business on Saturday, we will know who’s first off the bench: the talented freshman Deuce Knight or the experienced Ashton Daniels?

On September 4, Auburn insider Justin Ferguson reported that Hugh Freeze finally cleared the air. After Thursday’s practice, the HC confirmed true freshman Deuce Knight will be the first QB in after Jackson Arnold. That means if the Tigers build a lead against Ball State, fans could witness the 5-star’s long-awaited debut. Knight, ranked as the No. 6 QB in the 2025 class, has turned heads since his perfect 7-for-7 showing in Auburn’s mock game scrimmage. But why did Freeze make that call, despite a more experienced option on the roster?

Look, Deuce Knight’s potential is no secret. The 5-star prospect piled up more than 5,700 yards and 51 TDs in high school, and he’s carried that promise into Auburn. Still, instead of leaning on Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels, who started the past 2 seasons, Freeze explained the move was about preserving Daniels’ redshirt eligibility. “First, let’s win the game and whatever that takes. And should we need another quarterback to go in, Deuce will go in, and we’ll kind of go from there,” stated Freeze. And here’s the catch.

Freeze praised Daniels as “an incredible player” and admitted the redshirt factor was a major part of his decision. “I’d love to have that guy for two years,” he said, noting the balance between roster management and winning now. Still, the plan is clear: if Jackson Arnold goes down or if Auburn builds an early lead, Daniels will be the one stepping in right away. And why not? During his three years at Stanford, Daniels piled up close to 4,000 passing yards, tossing 21 TDs but also 20 interceptions. Now, Hugh Freeze may have settled his backup plan, but he also confessed to one major misstep with Jackson Arnold.

Hugh Freeze’s biggest admission on his QB1

It’s a fact that for two years, Auburn has struggled to find consistency at QB under Hugh Freeze. That’s why all eyes are on Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold to steady the offense and raise the Tigers’ ceiling. And his debut offered promise. In a 38-24 win over Baylor, Arnold threw for 108 yards, rushed for 137 more, and scored twice. Although he wasn’t flawless, Freeze liked what he saw. “He was really patient,” said the HC. “I mean he only had one play where I thought he was careless with the ball, and that was the pressure one.” Still, Freeze admitted the real mistake came from the sideline, not under center.

Here, he pointed to a second-and-four drive where Auburn was ripping chunk plays on the ground, yet he let Arnold throw an RPO. “I regret it,” remarked Freeze. “In normal situations, that’s fine, but man, the run was another gash. Cobb was going to rip that counter off for a lot of yards. That’s on me, that’s not on Jackson.” Then Freeze broke it down even further, acknowledging the safeties weren’t committing to the box and the smarter play was the handoff. But he owned the call.

“I get greedy sometimes,” admitted Freeze. “It’s hard when you have the receivers we have. But when you’re averaging about seven yards a gain, you probably need to fight that urge. I think we would have scored on that drive and made the outcome a little easier.” Now, with Auburn’s home debut on deck, Freeze’s decision could make waves or fall flat.