Jackson Arnold Named Transfer QB to Watch for 2025 College Football Season
Quarterback Jackson Arnold, who spent two seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners, transferred to the Auburn Tigers after entering the transfer portal.
On3’s Pete Nakos included Arnold in his list of the top 10 transfer quarterbacks to watch this spring, ranking him at No. 3.
Auburn is coming off a 5-7 record in 2024 under head coach Hugh Freeze, with quarterback play being a notable inconsistency.
The Tigers’ starting quarterback last season, Payton Thorne, transferred from the Michigan State Spartans in 2023.
Thorne has since entered the NFL after accumulating 4,468 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions across two seasons.
Arnold, starting for Oklahoma last season, threw for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions, also rushing for three touchdowns.
“2024 wasn’t ideal for Jackson Arnold at Oklahoma,” Nakos said. “This is why he left Norman for the transfer portal, ultimately choosing Auburn. As a former Five-Star Plus+ recruit, Arnold is looking to rebound with the Tigers. Freeze opted not to bring in a transfer quarterback last year, which hurt Auburn in 2024. Now, Arnold is on board, and this spring will be a key test to see if he’s back on track. He threw for 1,421 yards last season but had eight turnovers.”
Arnold was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the 2023 class, according to On3 Industry Rankings.
In his first year at Oklahoma, Arnold served as a backup behind Dillon Gabriel. After Gabriel entered the portal following the 2023 regular season, Arnold started for the Sooners in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona.
Arnold threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns but had three interceptions and lost a fumble.
The former five-star recruit was named Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for the season, though he was benched after the fourth game against Tennessee.
Hawkins took over for the next two games before Arnold was reinstated as the starter for the remainder of the regular season. Arnold chose not to play in the Armed Forces Bowl against Navy and entered the transfer portal.
Auburn kicks off its 2025 season against Baylor on Aug. 30.