Auburn football fans were hit with an unsettling update from spring practice on Thursday: Jackson Arnold went down with an injury and didn't finish his reps. It was portrayed as good news he walked off the field by himself.
"Went down during live reps after scrambling out of a broken pocket. Looked to have tweaked his right hamstring, but he walked off under his own power. Arnold didn't return for the remainder of practice," the Montgomery Advertiser's Adam Cole wrote.
Arnold's injury isn't being played up more, which is good news for now. College football coaching staffs do tend to be tight-lipped about injuries, though. Arnold had just announced he'd be skipping the Manning Passing Academy to be with his teammates more, so this would be a major blow.
Deuce Knight's struggles at practice make it a much harder pill to swallow for Hugh Freeze and Co. if Arnold is to miss any extended period of time. Cole didn't mince words on the Lucedale, Mississippi star's performance on Thursday.
"Deuce Knight's day was less than stellar. He registered at least three interceptions, two of which were on tipped balls. AnQuon Fegans tipped one of them, which ended up in the hands of Terrance Love, and Fegans caught Knight's second pick. Another freshman, Donovan Starr, recorded a pick," Cole wrote.
Auburn is not in a position to have any question marks at the most important position on the field. Freeze's coaching future depends on moving this team in the right direction this season -- which should at least mean a winning record.
It's early April, so Arnold's injury shouldn't make Tiger fans fret that he won't play. But any time off the field for Arnold is a net negative given he's learning a brand new playbook and is expected to have it mastered enough to engineer seven or more wins in 2025.