Mountain West team emerges as suitor for Jackson Arnold, per report
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Three games into his Auburn career, Jackson Arnold looked destined to finish his college experience as a Tiger. Then, SEC play arrived. Auburn’s offense took a nosedive, leading to Hugh Freeze’s dismissal and Arnold’s benching. Arnold hit the transfer portal again as a result. On Saturday, we finally got news of where he could be playing in 2026.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, UNLV has emerged as “an early team to watch” in the Arnold sweepstakes.
The Rebels, fresh off a 10-4 campaign, saw quarterback Anthony Colandrea enter the transfer portal in late December.
Head coach Dan Mullen — formerly of Mississippi State and Florida — guided UNLV to a Mountain West championship appearance in his first year in Sin City. The Rebels scored fewer than 30 points just once during the regular season with Colandrea. Arnold, a fellow dual-threat passer, could help Mullen replicate this offensive success.
Arnold was the No. 8 overall player (No. 4 QB) in the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,309 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions at Auburn in 2025. He added 311 rushing yards and 8 scores on the ground. In the Tigers’ season opener against Baylor, he ran for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Arnold has the talent to be tremendous, but needs the right coach and system to reach his ceiling. If Mullen is the right man for the job, UNLV could be in the running for the Mountain West title again in 2026.
