Auburn Tigers head football coach Hugh Freeze's plan on taking his team on a journey to the CFP depends heavily on QB Jackson Arnold's success rate this season, give or take.
Saturday's practice session gave Arnold exactly the kind of insight he needed to live up to those expectations. The defense easily dominated the offense right from the early 11-on-11 periods.
It did more than just give the offense a wakeup call. It gave Arnold a blueprint for exactly what needs improvement.
"I think our timing routes are something I could improve on from the spring," Arnold said Saturday, talking with reporters post-practice.
“Whether that’s intermediate game or quick game, even deep routes -- just working on my timing and kinda getting my feet in the ground and ready to rip the ball."
Arnold's assessment comes four weeks before Auburn's season-opener against the Baylor Bears. This will be a crucial time for improvement, before the panic sets in.
It also gives Freeze time to focus on the areas where the QB needs him the most. After all, the Tigers coach has made his confidence in Arnold more than clear throughout the offseason. It would be an utter disappointment to see him fall through the cracks after all that.
On top of that, meeting the expectations isn't the only thing Arnold needs to lose sleep over. He also needs to focus on being the best so as not to get replaced by freshman phenom QB Deuce Knight.
Arnold might as well have his timer set for some extra practice sessions as they travel to Baylor on Aug. 29 to kickstart their 2025 season.
If anything, it will pay off for the Tigers later in the season, something they might be in desperate need of with a tough early schedule.