Jackson Arnold is going to be the answer for the problems Hugh Freeze was struggling to solve all this time. But is the QB the solution to all of them? Arnold struggled in a system that failed to make use of him properly. Here’s a 5-star player who was a bust in his debut season as a starter. So he got out at the right time and arrived at Auburn, of all places. Now, that is a program that’s been slogging over at single-digit wins for quite a few years. Does that, and so much more, stand a chance to change under Arnold?

The new Auburn QB saw that Brent Venables’ offense was not the right one for him. Everything that could go wrong happened with the Sooners’ offense in his debut season. The WRs dropped like flies to injuries, thrusting freshmen talents on a stage they weren’t prepared for. Seth Littrell was fired midway, and it was too late for interim OC Joe Jon Finley to help Arnold earn back his lost reputation. At Auburn, however, he’s making quite the splash. “Really excited about Jackson,” Freeze said on The Paul Finebaum Show.

But can the high school star truly display his full potential in his new home? On3’s J.D. PicKell shared a few thoughts about it in a May 26 video. “Does Auburn look how they’re able to look, offensively? It’s a weird way to phrase it. But, like, how often have we sat here on a Sunday morning, after Auburn lost a football game and said, ‘Hey, there’s plays out there. There’s plays to be made.’” Auburn will face Baylor in its season opener. The Bears might just be the biggest underdog team that will surprise everyone this year.

The doubt is not on Auburn’s talent but on the execution strategy, PicKell noted. Sure, Arnold looks poised to have a great year in his first season for Auburn. But he also has to keep some important things in mind. “Can you just throw it to your team, brother? Can you throw it to your team? Can you hang on to the football?” PicKell said about Arnold. If the QB keeps these two issues in check, Arnold stands the chance of leading the Tigers to a notable height this year.

Jackson Arnold seemed to be shaken in his confidence as the season progressed in 2024. Turnovers were a recurring problem. In the Tennessee game, he racked up three turnovers in the first half alone. He ranked 118 in the country and dead last in the SEC in yards per pass, at just 5.78. In more such losses, Arnold’s turnovers proved to be the nails in the Sooners’ coffin. However, there were huge coaching errors on Brent Venables’ end, too. Can Hugh Freeze’s training be the right fit for the former 5-star QB?

Hugh Freeze’s failures can cost Auburn $20.3 million after all

Hugh Freeze himself is in quite the pickle. This is his 3rd season as HC, and he has fared very disappointingly so far, with his previous two. Auburn’s top brass were confident that Freeze would break the program out of their standstill, lackluster performance. They thought a buyout clause of $20.3 million would keep him more than happy and show results. Instead, he’s not even gone past a bowl game. $20.3 million is a lot, but if Freeze fails this year too, Auburn can always consider the buyout.

It’s been 6 years since the Tigers last won a bowl game. And then Freeze manages to miss out on a bowl game appearance altogether in 2024. The failure was embarrassing, but the HC is confident that the Tigers will make a bowl game attempt at least, if not win it. His words have been misconstrued by fans, who were angry at Freeze for setting the bar so low. But the bigger picture is that even with a roster that has some great names, that expectation doesn’t make sense.

Instead, this may be reflective of the coach’s mindset, according to College Football Addiction’s Cole Thompson, in a May 23 video. “My big point is when it comes down to all of those assets being added to your roster when you feel like that your team is complete enough, but you’re still not seeing the results, that’s coaching. That’s development. That’s on you internally as a program,” Thompson noted. A roster that has someone like Jackson Arnold shouldn’t be seen as worthy of just a bowl game.

Can Arnold and Freeze give each other a chance to succeed in their goals with each other in 2025? Can Freeze aim for further than a bowl game, and can Arnold show the world of his former 5-star self with his game?