Is Jackson Arnold more than what the media sees him to be? When Hugh Freeze acquired the former Oklahoma QB from the portal on December 14, many believed he won’t make it to the top half SEC QB list in Auburn. This past season, the Sooners finished 13th in the SEC with a 6-7 record. And what’s worse than that is that Arnold is rated no better as the media rankings trample him. 

Zac Blackerby and Darrell Dapprich found themselves in a Jackson Arnold discussion in Locked on Auburn on January 18. This topic is a product of Fansided’s Chris Landers’ article on the SEC QB power rankings which he released on January 15 where the Auburn commit is ranked as “the 13th quarterback in the SEC.” Blackerby said, “Is he top 5 right now? No he’s not. But to say there’s only three quarterback situations worse than him, I am going to push back a little bit there.”

According to Fansided’s rankings, Jackson Arnold is the No. 13th ranked SEC QB just ahead of Mississippi State Blake Shapen, Kentucky Zach Calzada, and Missouri Beau Pribula/Sam Horn. Dapprich added to the Tigers QB’s support saying, “I wouldn’t put him in the top half but I think he could get a couple of spots higher.” Both he and Blackerby believe that Arnold is at least a top-10 QB ahead of No. 10 Arkansas Taylen Green, No. 11 Georgia Gunner Stockton, and No. 12 Alabama Austin Mack/Ty Simpson.

In the 2024 season, Jackson Arnold appeared in 10 games and started in nine, showcasing his dual-threat potential. The 20-year-old threw for 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns with three interceptions. He also ruled the ground with 444 yards and three rushing TDs and also caught two passes for 16 yards and a score. He proved his talent when he delivered a 24-3 upset to Alabama rushing for a career-high 131 yards. Besides, his SEC experience at Oklahoma for two seasons put him in a better situation than those conference freshers. Let’s take a look into which SEC QBs made it to the top half in the power rankings. 

Who are the top half of SEC QBs? 

Not every SEC QB had a breakout season. Some suffered in their first year, particularly Florida freshman QB DJ Lagway whose playing time was limited with both Graham Mertz and Aidan Warner getting starting nods. Still, he made it to the top of the list, compiling 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns, and won the hearts of fans and analysts alike. Lagway is trailed by South Carolina freshman QB LaNorris Sellers who led the Gamecocks to finish fourth in the SEC.

The third QB off the list is LSU Garrett Nussmeier who announced his return for the 2025 season shortly after Bryce Underwood’s flip. Rankings at No. 4 is Jackson Arnold’s replacement in Oklahoma — John Mateer. No SEC experience but he’s highly hyped to be placed ahead of Texas Arch Manning who rounded the top 5 of the SEC QB power rankings. 

Rankings have always been around but there’s only so much they prove. Jackson Arnold has a chance to write a new story in Auburn to prove his critics that performance outshines rankings.