Hugh Freeze wants four scholarship quarterbacks on his depth chart, and by landing Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold. he moved towards his goal. But just because Freeze landed a starting SEC QB, doesn't mean all of his problems are solved.
In fact, AL.com's Peter Rauterkus is worried that Freeze has another potential problem on his hands: he has to quickly develop every QB in his room to be game-ready by the time the 2025 season rolls around, Arnold included.
Rauterkus also believes Arnold has to work out on the Plains for Freeze's sake.
"Point blank, Freeze needs this decision to work out. After Thorne’s struggles in 2023 and then electing not to get a transfer quarterback in 2024, his future at Auburn could depend on how this next quarterback turns out," Rauterkus wrote., noting that Freeze took Arnold over proven entities like Fernando Mendoza, Miller Moss, Maalik Murphy, and Darian Mensah.
"For better or for worse, though, it’s a risk Freeze was willing to take. Now, it’s on him and his staff to unlock the potential they see in Arnold."
After Mississippi State took an early lead in Arnold's recruitment, Auburn quickly flipped the narrative on December 12; with Mississippi beat reporters crystal-balling Arnold to AU. That probably speaks more to the Bulldogs' practically non-existent NIL funding -- they had a $3 million NIL budget this past season -- than it does Auburn being overly aggressive to land the ex-OU 5-star.
Still, Freeze's coaching career with the Tigers is on the line with this move. Not only does he risk another losing season taking someone who was benched his freshman year, but he also risks upsetting Deuce Knight. Arnold's three years of eligibility may not sit well with Knight, who likely wants to start his second year at the latest.
It could work out. Some see Oregon Bo Nix potential here, and it's not completely unfounded. Like Nix, Arnold is a blue-chip who didn't find what he was looking for at his first FBS home.
But the pressure for it to pan out is immense. And that may be underselling it.