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Hugh Freeze says Jackson Arnold is ‘a pretty natural fit’ for Auburn
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Hugh Freeze will enter a pivotal season with the Auburn Tigers in 2025.
The coach racked up an 11-14 record through his first 2 seasons on the plains, and many expect the team to take a step forward in 2025. A deciding factor in whether or not the team takes that jump will be Jackson Arnold.
Arnold was a huge get for the Tigers in the transfer portal. Arnold spent the previous 2 seasons at Oklahoma, but will now look to reinvigorate his career with Freeze. On Wednesday, Freeze was asked about how Arnold will fit in with the Tigers.
“Jackson, if you go back to his high school days, you don’t get to become the Gatorade Player of the Year without a great skillset,” Freeze said. “When I see the way he functions with the fundamentals of that position, with what we want to do, it’s a pretty natural fit.”
Arnold played in 10 games with the Sooners in 2024 and threw for 1,421 yards with 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The athletic QB also rushed for 444 yards and 3 scores on the season.
QB play was up-and-down for the Tigers in 2024. Payton Thorne was benched in favor of Hank Brown, but Brown ended up being benched as well and Thorne was reinserted. Turnovers were a problem for the Tigers as the team finished No. 120 in the nation in turnover margin.
“I know our receivers are like, ‘This is different, this ball is spinning the right way,'” Freeze said of Arnold.
Arnold will be joined by top prospect Deuce Knight and fellow portal additions Ashton Daniels and Tanner Bailey in the QB room.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
