Of all people, it would be Jackson Arnold who would want to erase what happened last year. His college football debut at Oklahoma. From a 5-star Gatorade Player of the Year to dropping to rock bottom. But as Auburn’s new star, the conversation around him has been shifting to whether or not he’ll survive his first year in The Plains. Cole Cubelic revealed what it felt like to be a QB behind a defensive-minded HC. In his McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, he voiced the rumors, saying, “‘Don’t f— up.’‘Whatever you do, don’t screw this up.’ I had never thought of it, and I had never heard him say it.” The result is a QB playing tight, explaining his struggles. So, what’s it like at Auburn?

In an August 20 episode on Auburn Tigers on AuburnSports, Auburn insider Cole Pinkston made a pointed statement towards Jackson Arnold. “You might not be the reason Auburn wins the game. Maybe you didn’t make a play you needed to, whatever,” he said. “But please don’t be the reason Auburn loses the game. You can’t have that.” So yeah, no need to be Superman, just don’t be the kryptonite. 

Jackson Arnold’s debut season at Oklahoma wasn’t the stuff of highlight reels. In 10 games, he scraped together 1,421 passing yards with 12 touchdowns. His 5.8 yards per attempt is a painful No. 118 out of 119 qualified QBs. Still, there were flashes. Remember Oklahoma’s 24-3 shocker over Alabama? He carried the ball 25 times for 131 yards that day.

That’s the dual-threat magic Auburn fans are hoping Hugh Freeze can unlock. Hugh Freeze didn’t waste time hyping up his new QB1. “There’s a reason he was Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of high school,” Freeze said. “I think he needed a (restart) to regain some confidence. I think he’s doing that at a fast, fast pace.” He better because…

Cole Pinkston stressed losses. “You just can’t with everything you got with all the supporting staff, supporting cast around you,” he added. “Just don’t. I mean, it’s not as simple as don’t scr-w up, but if you at least have that baseline, you know what I mean? You’re getting somewhere.” Well, Jackson Arnold won’t exactly be working alone. With weapons like Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton at receiver, plus Malcolm Simmons and Perry Thompson in the rotation, the offense is built for fireworks. And then, there’s a nasty secondary with Kayin Lee, Jay Crawford, and Kaleb Harris. Auburn looks loaded. But then came Hugh Freeze’s uncertainty.

Hugh Freeze opens a 3-man QB race

Jackson Arnold isn’t alone in the Tigers’ QB room, and Hugh Freeze made sure everyone knew it. On his weekly radio show, the HC dropped a bombshell. All three top QBs, Arnold, Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels, and 5-star true freshman Deuce Knight could see time in the opener at Baylor. “This guy ran away from some really good teams, like Clemson and Notre Dame,” he said about Daniels. “He’s got an extra gear. And so, there’s always place for that.”

And on Deuce Knight, Hugh Freeze couldn’t resist the hype. He lauded his freshman phenom, who “can make any throw on the field, and he has a poise about him for a freshman that’s unique.” Not exactly a glowing endorsement of Jackson Arnold’s security as QB1, no matter how he tries to spin it. After all, Kalani Sitake is trying that freshman hype out with Bear Bachmeier at BYU. 

Jackson Arnold’s first Saturday in orange and blue just so happens to be on the road, under the lights, against Baylor. Auburn’s already a 2.5-point favorite. But if Hugh Freeze starts juggling QBs in Game 1, it could be a repeat of history for his QB.