Auburn’s offensive line was nothing but a mess last week. After a loss to Oklahoma, their game against Texas A&M is raising more questions than ever. And why wouldn’t it? The Sooners’ defense pressured Jackson Arnold in 45.5% of his plays. What’s even more problematic is his tendency to hold the ball long, waiting to make a perfect throw, which has always been an issue, giving a déjà vu of his time at Oklahoma. And it’s now getting worse as a Sooners alum is taking blunt shots at him, warning them of a rough future ahead.

Jackson Arnold’s game against Oklahoma turned nothing but ironic last week. A guy who took 36 sacks last season, and the entire team gave up 50 sacks – the most in the nation. Now this is the same guy who was sacked 10 times against his former team, who just gave up 1 sack in the game. That’s what’s drawing shade from everyone for him, and Oklahoma’s NIL manager, Rodney Anderson, is no different. As he took X, throwing a blunt reality check on Arnold that reads: “Idk, I’d probably focus more on the next game and not getting sacked 10 times. 🤷🏽.”

But was it all Jackson Arnold’s fault? In their game against Oklahoma, there were 5 unavoidable sacks that just added more pressure on Arnold. The sacks were so quick that even OL couldn’t do much, which is a big problem. Now, what’s more concerning is their next week’s game against Texas A&M, as their defensive front creates more pressure despite not recording so many sacks. That’s right, they only have 9 sack records through 3 games, but their ability to put pressure on QBs is exceptional. As they kept on pressuring them on 38% of drop-backs in the season and for Auburn’s struggling pass protection, Jackson Arnold can face more problems than ever.

And let’s not forget his misses on big plays were also a big hurdle. The one that stands out the most is his too-high catch against Cam Coleman, a big missed opportunity for a TD, which even he regrets. “I mean, it sucks, but at the end of the day, it’s just one pass,” Arnold said. “I think I was more proud of the way that we came back and fought to score a touchdown to put us up in that fourth quarter. But misses like that happen. Obviously, I want that one back.” So, if Arnold really wants to make an impact in the game, he has to use his talented receiving corps properly.

That’s right, players like Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton Jr., and Malcolm Simmons form a tough WR unit, but if Arnold takes more time in reducing pressure than delivering plays, then there’s no way they are going to turn things around for the team. But Anderson’s urge for Auburn to focus on their team’s inconsistency came from their AD’s tough words.

Jackson Arnold’s concern takes another turn

Oklahoma vs. Auburn turned real dramatic last week when Sooners WR Isaiah Sategna faked moving out of the field and went near the sidelines. When he made this move, Auburn thought he was going out, and that’s exactly why he wasn’t covered. And the result? This guy completed a 24-yard TD pass from QB John Mateer in Auburn’s 24-17 loss against Oklahoma.

Now, when such things happen in the game, they’re supposed to be called out and given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but the game officials failed to do it, and as a result, it came across as a TD for the Sooners. But the SEC didn’t let it slide easily, as they said, “The officiating crew did not properly interpret the action as a hideout tactic. If properly officiated, the second down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot. Appropriate accountability will be applied without additional comment.”

And days after this, Auburn’s AD John Cohen made a bold statement on the entire situation on September 26, 2025, where he made it pretty clear that his team “deserved better” than this. “We remain extremely disappointed because our young men prepare each week to compete at the highest level. They deserve to have the game officiated at an optimum level.” But in return, what did they get? A harsh reality check from Anderson on Jackson Arnold’s situation.

It all comes down to their game against the Aggies now; let’s wait and see if Jackson Arnold can show any consistency this weekend or ends up messing it all up for his team.