Well, the Oklahoma Sooners might have let out a sigh of relief when they got rid of their QB, Jackson Arnold. Yes, that’s how the five-star quarterback in the Class of 2023 lost all his charm. Back in December, Auburn announced his signing and said he would become the highest-rated quarterback ever at the school. Sadly, even after committing to Hugh Freeze’s Auburn Tigers, his luck did not get any better. Rather, his stocks faced a steep fall. Right now things are extra tough for Arnold. After all, HC Freeze has his Plan B ready when it comes to the QB1 position. It’s none other than Deuce Knight who comes off as Arnold’s biggest competitor. 

Back in Oklahoma, Arnold had curated a decent resume for himself. He finished the 2024 season with 1,421 passing yards and 444 rushing yards, along with 15 total touchdowns and three interceptions. But things took an ugly turn when he faced off against Tennessee. Arnold committed three turnovers, all in the first half, and he got benched by HC Brent Venables. So, it’s obvious that the QB can’t be trusted fully when it comes to the Tigers program. On The Number One College Football Show, host RJ Young gave a harsh reality check, comparing Arnold to other power-packed QBs of his time.   

He stated, “There’s a world of difference between Jackson Arnold and Garrett Nussmeier. There’s a world difference between Jackson Arnold and Arch Manning in production.” After all, Nussmeier was second in the SEC in passing yards in 2024 and is now making a U-turn in Baton Rouge. Manning’s stats are impressive too: 939 yards, a 67.8% completion rate, 9 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions, all while starting just a handful of games last year. Arnold, on the other hand, played in 17 games and completed 62.9% of his passes for 1,984 yards, with 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. So, even with experience, Arnold’s numbers don’t quite stack up, and in this SEC QB race, he’s definitely got some ground to make up. So what does the future have on hold for Freeze’s QB?  

Well, the QB will have to give in his blood, sweat, and tears to prove himself and earn back the trust. As Young stated, “As much as I really want Jackson Arnold to succeed, I do. It’s going to be difficult. You’re going to have to show a lot more. You’re going to have to develop into the kind of five-star prospect that we all think that you’re capable of being.” So, for the ones inquisitive about whether Arnold will be the next Bo Nix, the QB who was OK in Auburn but his fourth and fifth years of eligibility popped off in Oregon, Josh Pate has something. 

“My question is is Auburn going to be Oregon? Is Auburn going to provide the same environment? Is he going to have the same supporting cast? The same quality of coaching staff?” stated the analyst. Well, looks like Freeze’s focus is already on someone else. 

Deuce Knight shakes off Jackson Arnold in the Tigers QB race  

Well, there are enough reasons for the Auburn HC to get into complete panic mode. After all, the Tigers are going to face one of the toughest schedules in the 2025 season. Up in the line are face-offs against Ohio State, Texas A&M, and giant killers Vanderbilt on the road. Although they have home games scheduled against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, they are also going to be tough ones. In that case, can Freeze take any risk? Absolutely not!

That’s when Knight comes off as the top prospect. He is a five-star-rated prospect who is ranked 5th nationally in his position. Now, it goes without saying that Knight is going to claim Arnold’s limelight. As analyst Lindsay Crosby shed light on the issue at the Tigers squad, “If I say there legitimately could be a like a legit quarterback competition in spring and in fall like obviously Jackson Arnold’s the favorite but there is a world where Deuce Knight just looks fantastic and gets into the conversation.”

Not sure about others, but Hugh Freeze seems to have been already sold on Deuce Knight. After all, having coached for so long, the HC could draw comparisons between the QB and former Auburn and now Green Bay Packers star Malik Willis.“I think he (Knight) has the demeanor about himself like Malik did, that people gravitate to and want to follow. He makes people around him better. Malik had this humility about him also, even though he carried this great confidence,” Freeze said, sounding all confident. Now will Jackson Arnold be able to dethrone Deuce Knight and lock in the HC’s approval?