When halfway through the game against Tennessee, Oklahoma HC Brent Venables benched Jackson Arnold, the QB’s ears must probably be ringing. And why not? He saw Michael Hawkins Jr. put on his helmet and take over effortlessly. Understandably, he entered the transfer portal as the season wrapped up because Venables had marked Michael to be the better QB. “You know, play the first three games, we’re 3-0, then go to Tennessee, have a bad first half, and get benched.” The incomplete reasoning was seemingly followed by a head shake expressing the disbelief, the disappointment that Jackson felt in Norman.

The former No. 4 QB coming out of the high school might not have been the best out there, but he did deliver with his high sport IQ. Let’s not forget that he led the Sooners over nemesis Alabama with 25 carries for 131 yards and a completion rate of over 81% last season. But a bad half with three turnovers dominated the 3-0 run entering the game. Who wouldn’t want to clean their slate and move on? Enter Hugh Freeze who already knows, “The fit he is for our offense and for Auburn, I couldn’t be more excited. He’s a dual-threat guy who understands the RPO system extremely well and throws the deep ball extremely well.”

The top-12 QB in the transfer portal is vying to be the Tigers’ primary signal caller. But it isn’t an easy task, especially with the self-confidence hit. Still, if history is any lesson, in a do-or-die situation, Jackson has always gone for the first option. And Taylor Sharp believes his fate is almost sealed for the 2025 season.

In today’s episode of Off The Bench: LSU, Sharp didn’t hold back when talking Auburn QBs. He said the Tigers might just have the best QB room. “You bring in Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma, Ashton Daniels, who was a starter at Stanford, and freshman Deuce Knight, who a lot of people love. Obviously, Jackson Arnold looks like the leader in that clubhouse.” So, three different styles, but one loaded room. And with Freeze at the helm, Sharp believes Auburn’s QB situation is built for success.

The depth in Auburn’s QB room certainly backs the claim. Jackson Arnold didn’t suit up for the A-Day with a minor injury precaution. However, his clip from the Spring practice where he launches a dime to Cam Coleson, shows his confidence– No twitching, no taking time. Yet, the deep pass showed his potential.

Even behind him, the Tigers are still loaded. Ashton Daniels brings experience and poise. In 2023, he racked up 2,247 passing yards, 11 TDs, and added 296 yards on the ground. The awards followed—Davey O’Brien Great 8, Manning Award Star of the Week. Then there’s the future: Deuce Knight. A dynamic dual-threat freshman who put up over 2,000 passing yards and nearly 500 on the ground last season.

Of course, Arnold himself—a five-star, former Gatorade National Player of the Year. Freeze too, is all in on his new QB. “He’s got the arm talent, he’s got the legs, he’s got the football IQ. I think he just needs confidence, and I think that confidence grew this spring, along with his rapport with our receivers.” Honestly, this season, Auburn’s quarterback room is built different. But it’s not just the QBs stealing the spotlight at Auburn, the wide receiver room is turning heads too, showing Freeze’s focus to make the QBs and the team succeed.

Coleman made noise as a freshman last year—straight-up matchup nightmare. Big, athletic, and tough to guard. And what did the staff do? Doubled down. They went out and grabbed Eric Singleton from Georgia Tech. He recorded nearly 1,000 yards last season. To be honest, he has blazing speed with big play threat. You know, LSU wanted him, like the others. But Auburn got the deal done.

And Taylor Sharp put it best, “You brought Eric Singleton from Georgia Tech, this is a guy who had a round of thousand yards receiving last year, showed he can be really explosive receiver. LSU showed some interest in Eric Singleton. That was a name that was brought up time and time again for any team when it was like ‘Hey, which wide receiver can you go for in the portal?’ Eric Singleton was one of the top names out there. You pair him with Cam Coleman, I think Jackson Arnold’s actually going to have a lot of success at Auburn this year,” declared Sharp.

The offensive line is all-set for Auburn and clearly the Tigers are hungry for a win. But no doubt, Arnold is the one who wants to right the wrongs. Sharp also reasoned, “I get it, he didn’t really live up to the 5-star hype last year at Oklahoma. It was disappointing. But Oklahoma had no running game. We know that Nic Anderson basically was out before the season even started. Jackson Arnold had Bauer Sharp. But that’s about all he had.

“The offensive line wasn’t great, the running game was non-existent. And that has been the biggest knock on Brent Venables. Sure Venables is a defensive coach but you have to have some semblance of an offense and they didn’t have it out there at Norman. I think under this coaching staff, their offensive center, I think Jackson Arnold could have a successful year.” 

While Jackson Arnold’s future shines bright at Auburn, Hugh Freeze’s master plan for the Spring Game QB battle has now come to light.

The hidden plan behind Jackson Arnold’s Spring game

Now, about Freeze’s spring game plan. Look, Arnold arrived at Auburn with high expectations and a playbook to master. However, the message from Coach Freeze and his staff? You’ve got the talent, now lead and prove yourself. After a quiet finish at Oklahoma, Arnold is locked in, commanding first-team reps, showing leadership—but soon, the whispers began to grow louder.

Here, according to insiders, the real drama at Auburn isn’t coming from fans or message boards—it’s brewing within the building. “The call is coming from inside the house,” said one insider. Adding, “This isn’t just fans talking, it’s coaches and players saying Deuce Knight is impressing way beyond expectations.” While Hugh Freeze hasn’t publicly stoked a QB1 controversy, insiders believe there’s a bigger plan at play: motivation.

Well, Freeze might be using this perceived competition to push Jackson Arnold, making sure he stays sharp with Deuce Knight nipping at his heels. Right now, whether it’s real competition or a coaching tactic, Knight’s early performance has shifted the entire vibe of Auburn’s spring. Let’s see who grabs the QB1 spot.