There is a lot of optimism surrounding the quarterback position for Auburn football this year. Head coach Hugh Freeze made the decision to bring back Payton Thorne for a second year rather then looking to the transfer portal, and it did not turn out to be the best decision for the Tigers.
For whatever reason, as a fifth-year senior, Thorne struggled as the leader of Auburn's offense. Of course, the blame does not fall squarely on Thorne's shoulders, but as quarterback, he was not what Auburn needed to win football games.
This year, the quarterback room has received a complete makeover after three of the Tigers' four quarterbacks hit the transfer portal following the end of the 2024 season. Then, one of the first transfers to commit to Auburn football was former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold.
Arnold was one of two quarterbacks to go through spring practice alongside true freshman and 5-star recruit Deuce Knight, and the pair have been splitting reps all spring.
There is a lot of pressure riding on Freeze's shoulders this year after back-to-back losing seasons. Despite plenty of success on the recruiting trail, results have to start showing up in the win column for Freeze to keep his job on the Plains. According to Freeze, Arnold could be the guy that finally pushes the Tigers back to a winning team.
"Really excited about Jackson," Freeze said on the Paul Finebaum Show, per Auburn Undercover. "He and Deuce (Knight), we only had those two guys here, so they got all the reps. I think that was a good thing. Jackson obviously has all the tools to be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, in my opinion. Coming out of high school obviously was Gatorade Player of the Year. Just needed probably a restart for whatever reason. I'm just excited about what I saw.
"He's got the arm talent. He's got the legs. He's got the football IQ. I think he just needs confidence. I think that confidence grew this spring along with his rapport with our receivers. Truthfully, you probably don't regain that confidence and swagger until we really get into the battles and have success, but I'm really confident with what I saw with him and Deuce throughout the spring."
The Tigers will kickoff the 2025 season on August 29 against the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas.