Entering the 2024 season, Jackson Arnold was supposed to take the baton from Dillon Gabriel and lead the Oklahoma Sooners to a successful debut season in the SEC. Instead, he was benched after just three games and two quarters before being reinserted into the starting lineup to close out the year.
Now expected to enter the transfer portal, which landing spots make the most sense for the former five-star QB?
Will Jackson Arnold Enter the Transfer Portal?
Arnold’s rise and fall has shocked the college football world, but his collegiate career has only just begun. He joined the Sooners last January and backed up Gabriel, playing in six games, including a start in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona.
In that contest, Arnold flashed his potential, throwing for 361 yards and rushing for another 38. However, he also showed room for growth with three interceptions.
With Gabriel off to Oregon, it was Arnold’s time to shine — until it wasn’t.
Through three games (and a quarter and a half against the Tennessee Vols), Arnold struggled to complete 60% of his passes or throw for 200+ yards in a single outing, turning the ball over nine times.
Now, it wasn’t all on Arnold, as the WR corps was riddled with injuries all season, and the offensive line struggled to pass protect or pave rushing lanes. True freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. was not any better, but his dual-threat ability provided the coaching staff with a spark.
Head coach Brent Venables said he talked with Arnold about a potential redshirt but didn’t announce a decision either way, saying the signal-caller “wants to be the starting quarterback at the University of Oklahoma.”
Just last offseason, we saw two high-profile passers — Malachi Nelson and Ty Thompson — leave their original programs only to be relegated to the bench in the Group of Five. Yet, Arnold has had the chance to showcase his upside, which should translate to an abundance of suitors.
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Arnold still has a redshirt available, meaning he could spend next year perfecting his craft while sitting behind a senior QB. That may be the best-case scenario, as the Denton, Texas, native finished the 2024 campaign with a 62.6% completion rate while averaging just 5.8 yards per attempt.
Which programs offer Arnold the best path toward redemption in 2025 and beyond? Let’s find out.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Arnold’s first offensive coordinator, Jeff Lebby, left Oklahoma for the head coach position at Mississippi State last year. Lebby brought in former Baylor QB Blake Shapen to head up the offense, but a shoulder injury ended his season after just four games. Despite being a redshirt senior, he could receive another year of eligibility through a medical waiver.
Additionally, true freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. has played well in relief. However, it didn’t translate to wins, with the Bulldogs suffering their worst regular season since 2003 (2-10).
So, why would Arnold pick Starksville as his next destination? His familiarity with Lebby, for one, but also the chance to remain in the SEC on a program on the rise.
Auburn Tigers
Speaking of staying in the SEC…
The Auburn Tigers are a quarterback away from truly competing in the conference, as Payton Thorne and Hank Brown routinely threw the ball to the other team.
Throne is out of eligibility, and Brown and former four-star Holden Greiner recently announced they would enter the portal. That leaves true freshman Walker White as the primary signal-caller remaining.
Hugh Freeze would be wise to bring in a transfer QB, especially one of Arnold’s caliber, after not doing so last offseason.
Michigan Wolverines
In terms of teams with QB problems, Michigan was in an even worse position than Auburn this year, as the Wolverines started three different signal-callers.
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Starter Davis Warren, backup Alex Orji, and QB3 Jack Tuttle struggled to do anything with the talent around them, combining for a 58.6% completion rate, 5.1 yards per attempt, and 10 touchdowns vs. 12 interceptions.
Arnold is no guarantee, but he should be an upgrade over what is currently in Ann Arbor.
USC Trojans
Lincoln Riley has built his career around elite QB play, but 2024 tested him without an NFL-level passer, yielding mixed results. Enter Arnold, a high-upside transfer who could ignite the competition with Jayden Maiava, who had flashes of promise in three late-season starts.
Arnold’s raw talent aligns perfectly with Riley’s system, though his struggles at Oklahoma require some development. A move to USC could revive Arnold’s trajectory, but it would come with the weight of Oklahoma’s scorn for another Sooner-turned-Trojan.
TCU Horned Frogs/Baylor Bears
Texas and Texas A&M have their long-term QBs in-house already, but if Arnold wants to return to his home state, TCU and Baylor could offer him a fresh start. Both programs offered him coming out of high school, and much of the coaching staffs remain in place.
Although the Horned Frogs (Josh Hoover) and the Bears (Sawyer Robertson) have junior passers under center who have flashed at times, Arnold’s arrival would bring immediate competition for the starting role, along with the stability of a long-term option.
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