Jackson Arnold shares early thoughts on facing Oklahoma defense, Brent Venables
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Jackson Arnold didn’t script this. But he’s going to live it this fall during his first season as the quarterback at Auburn.
As fate would have it, when he plays his very first SEC game as the Tigers’ signal-caller, it will come against the program he just transferred from and against the head coach he just left. Auburn’s SEC opener on Sept. 20 just happens to be against Oklahoma and Brent Venables, and the fact that the game is in Norman will just make things juicier.
It’s no secret that things didn’t work out for Arnold at Oklahoma, which is why he transferred to the Plains after 2 seasons in Norman. After spending his first season at Oklahoma as the backup to Dillon Gabriel, it was all clear for Arnold to take flight in 2024. But that didn’t happen, as Arnold struggled mightily, making 4 starts before getting benched in favor of true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.
Arnold transferred to Auburn in December, ending a forgetful opening chapter of his collegiate career.
Now, with a fresh start at Auburn in 2025, he’s heading for an immediate reunion with Oklahoma fans and Venables. And, naturally, Arnold was hit with the question about facing Oklahoma’s defense and Venables at SEC Media Days on Tuesday in Atlanta.
“It’ll be a challenge,” said Arnold. “Coach Venables is a fantastic defensive coach. Great defensive mind. He’ll throw some stuff my way (that) I probably won’t be expecting.”
Oklahoma fans surely have their calendars marked for Sept. 20, when the quarterback who didn’t quite work out in Norman will return with Auburn.
It’ll be a must-watch SEC game, and Arnold is already gearing up for the challenge.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
