Auburn football landing Jackson Arnold in the transfer portal pairs their likely new starting QB with a head coach in Hugh Freeze who also notoriously upset Alabama. Arnold knocked off the Crimson Tide at Oklahoma this past season, while Freeze beat Nick Saban's teams in the mid-2010s.
Bama Hammer's Ronald Evans believes this was done by design. Evans also believes this strategy won't yield the results AU hopes for.
"The Aubies can't help it. The definition of Auburn football is that the Tigers never stop measuring themselves against Alabama Football. Predictably they have done again by landing a new quarterback with a resume that includes beating an Alabama Crimson Tide team. Jackson Arnold is leaving Oklahoma to play for Hugh Freeze," Evans wrote.
"Auburn chose Freeze because in 2014 and 2015 he beat Alabama Football and Nick Saban. Though one of the wins hinged on freak luck for Ole Miss, Freeze gained the reputation as the 'Saban-killer'. Freeze won less than 61% of his games at Ole Miss and against lesser competition at Liberty, won less than 70%. Measured by reasonable standards, Hugh's record with the Rebels and the Flames was just modest success. Auburn's tunnel vision saw only the two wins against Nick Saban."
The Tigers took a gamble bringing on Arnold with Deuce Knight entering the QB room as a coveted blue-chip. Not long after Arnold committed, Walker White entered the portal. Arnold needs to work out if there's any risk of losing Knight.
Let's hope Freeze chose him for more reasons than just beating Alabama.