Joel Klatt shares how he expects Oklahoma to attack Jackson Arnold
By Jacob Moss
Published:
Arguably the biggest game on tap in the SEC this weekend is the showdown between the No. 22 Auburn Tigers and the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners, a game that will feature several very intriguing storylines underneath all of the action.
The biggest narrative surrounding this top-25 clash is the return of former Sooners and current Tigers star quarterback Jackson Arnold to Norman for the first time since departing from the former this past offseason.
Arnold spent the past 3 seasons as a part of the Oklahoma program and was even the starter for much of the 2024 season. The 2 sides decided to part ways following a shaky year under center for Arnold, and the former 5 star recruit landed on the Plains in Hugh Freeze‘s high-octane offensive scheme last winter.
While many will view this game as an opportunity for Arnold to stick it to his former team and coaches, Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt believes that it will be the Sooners who will get the best of Arnold in the matchup.
“Nobody knows Jackson Arnold better than Brent Venables and that defense, specifically the coaching staff,” Klatt said Thursday during an episode of The Joel Klatt Show. “They just went through a season of struggle offensively with Jackson Arnold last year. They know specifically what he struggles with. What does he not see in the secondary? What are the looks in the blitzes that he has trouble with? That’s not a good omen for Auburn in this game.”
Klatt also went on to state that he believes that Venables and his staff will dial up the pressure to throw Arnold off of his game, which is something he struggled with in 2024.
“And we know that Arnold has struggled under pressure at times. … Remember it’s been well documented,” Klatt said. “I would anticipate the aggressive nature of the OU defense to pick up. And I would expect them to come after Arnold and try to put him in that uncomfortable area that he struggled with a year ago. So expect OU’s defense to be insanely aggressive.”
The tape on Arnold certainly agrees with Klatt’s assessment, and if there’s one team that knows the Auburn signal caller’s weaknesses under center, it’s the Sooners. If Venables can dial up the pressure and get to his former QB consistently, then it could end up being a very long day for Auburn out west.
