Are we about to see a domino effect? It hasn’t been a good run for QB Jackson Arnold in Oklahoma. In his first starting season, he recorded 1,421 passing yards, 444 rushing yards, and 15 TDs in nine starts. Now that the season is over, he’s leaving a void in the Sooners’ depth with his decision to hit the transfer portal. But Oklahoma may not be the only program to suffer a blow from his move. 

Brandon Huffman and Cooper Petagna joined Emily Proud in a new YouTube episode on 247Sports on December 5 to discuss Jackson Arnold’s transfer decision. Huffman observed a familiar pattern from the past taking form with the Oklahoma QB’s departure and the arrival of their new OC Ben Arbuckle. He said, “Now I start to panic a little bit because with Ben Arbuckle coming from Washington State to Oklahoma, does John Mateer follow? We’ve already seen precedent last year with Cam Ward leaving Washington State.”

Here’s a little insight to the history of this domino effect. Miami QB Cam Ward played at Incarnate Word under HC Eric Morris from 2020-21. When Morris got an OC job at Washington State, he managed to get Ward to play for the Cougars for two seasons before transferring to the ACC school this year. A similar situation is brewing up.

It was thanks to Ben Arbuckle’s genius that Cougars QB John Mateer was able to develop into a dynamic player who led his team to an 8-4 record this year. As Huffman said, “Does this mean that with Jackson Arnold’s departure that John Mateer becomes QB1 target for Oklahoma with his offensive coordinator going there with Oklahoma clearly needing some kind of spark offensively.” Perhaps it’s the time for the Cougars fans to keep a check on the recruiting outlets a little more often. But coming back to Arnold, where would his next opportunity stem from?

Potential landing spots for Jackson Arnold

Jackson Arnold was a 5-star QB in the 2023 recruiting class and he’s proven that he has innate talent for football. Joining a program with a strong passing unit would be key and Texas Tech fits the bill. How? There’s a connection. Arnold played high school football in the state of Texas. Besides, Red Raiders QB Behren Morton could be leaving for the NFL next year so he could make a reliable replacement. 

If not Texas Tech, Arnold could also get offers from other SEC schools like Alabama and Ole Miss. Both their starting QBs Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart will enter the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving room for a successor to fill in. He has a greater chance with Lane Kiffin and the Rebels as they recruited him out of school too. But if not them, we never know it could be USC as HC Lincoln Riley who previously announced that the Trojans would seek a QB from the portal. Wherever he lands, Arnold will hopefully prove himself as a worthy pick.