Having more depth on the QB spot, arguably the most important position responsible for the progress of a program, is widely considered a good flex, but it leads to a competitive air as well. On that note, Auburn’s has been resolved on the massive portal spree but invited some trouble for Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight.

The prized recruit in Hugh Freeze’s No. 6 ranked 2025 class, Knight, was recently tagged as one of the top 30 incoming freshmen in the country by On3. Knight, the former Notre Dame commit, has the talent, and the significant chance to emerge as Auburn’s leading signal caller but he has thrown some bumps in a competitor’s way, namely Jackson Arnold, the newest signee of the Tigers QB room.

Jackson Arnold’s potential QB future is in dilemma 

Auburn Tigers have been on edge following a disappointing season. Waiting around for another year to make things right and reach the potential would be a luxury that would be too much for Hugh Freeze to afford. He had to take some massive leap of faith on the portal, and Jackson Arnold’s name came around. The No. 8 overall athlete showed some serious silver lining in the Tigers’ projected rebound season. The coach loves to believe he is Payton Thorne’s successor in the making. His stat doesn’t contradict the idea as well. On top, Arnold’s relentless urge to dodge his average stint at Oklahoma Sooners adds value to his potential on the Tigers’ offensive depth.

Now with the glittery Jackson Arnold daydream, the obvious question that pops into mind: Will Hugh Freeze turn to Deuce Knight or Ashton Daniels, his available quality QBs on the roster, or go all in to explore his high-octane new QB in pursuit of a near perfect season? The answer needs a lot of strategic debate but in one shot, Mike Gittens gave an overview of the reality.

“I think if you are a true five-star, you should be ready to play by year two minimum. Sure, there are your five-star guys who come in, and they challenge the starters either immediately, or they are the clear-air appearances. So, if you are Deuce Knight right, you are going up against another former five star in Jackson Arnold but I compare them to my first-round draft pick.”

Well, there you have it! Having a 5-star competition is surely tricky, but it can also fuel you to do well. The talent is remarkable. It’s for no reason that Deuce was getting compared to Cam Newton and Michael Penix Jr. by the scouts. At the same time, as Gittens mentioned, it’s unusual for even the best of the talents to hit the ground running.

For that reason, Hugh Freeze, for now, has gambled on Jackson Arnold, the former five-star recruit and Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. He mounted 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns for Oklahoma in 2024. He eclipsed the 200-yard mark in passing twice last season and rushed for 131 yards in the Sooners’ spectacular victory over Alabama back in November.

Hugh Freeze set the bar high for Jackson Arnold

Even apart from what the scoreboard looked like, Freeze has high faith in his intangibles, which includes a top-tier football IQ. Freeze has learned enough lessons after neglecting the 2023 portal a bit. He has enough guys stacked up in the QB and the receiver rooms. But among all the talents under the belt, Freeze seems most excited about having Jackson Arnold on the board. He is a stern believer, and he sees underneath the surface.

An optimistic head coach is also blown away by the amount of maturity Jackson holds- pretty beyond his years. ‘The fit he is for our offense and for Auburn, I couldn’t be more excited,” Freeze said in a press release. His dual-threat ability also made him a lucrative catch. Freeze thinks he understands the RPO system quite well and possesses a decent ability to throw deep balls.

Well, you can dismiss the hype referring to his years at Norman, but let’s not forget, he was without top receivers such as Deion Burks, Nic Anderson, and others and had to deal with the faulty OC Seth Littrell throughout the season. However, despite the flakes, Arnold showed some serious hope in the run game. With a better-projected system at Auburn, there is no crime to continue to fuel your hope.