When Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold missed Auburn’s spring game with a minor injury, it opened the door for a summer of chaos, and after four-star freshman Deuce Knight impressed on A-Day, Hugh Freeze needed to slow down his young quarterback’s hype train. So, on Wednesday, in an interview with Mike Gittens of the War Rapport, Freeze did just that.
Freeze declared Arnold, the former five-star redshirt sophomore, to be his starting quarterback heading Freeze’s third season at the helm. Freeze desperately needs to get the quarterback position right after two losing seasons with Payton Thorne behind center, and with his seat heating up off a 5-7 campaign, the veteran head coach is trusting an experienced QB to provide stability.
Jackson Arnold is the starter but Deuce Knight is real deal as well! How would you rate this QB room? Freeze feels confident. #auburnfootball @thewarrapport pic.twitter.com/8ocpHJ7Jmb
— Mike G. (@mikegittens) May 7, 2025
Hugh Freeze names Jackson Arnold Auburn’s starting QB over Deuce Knight
Freeze and Arnold were something of a perfect marriage this offseason. Arnold needed another opportunity to start after he was benched in favor of four-star freshman Michael Hawkins at Oklahoma last season, and Freeze needed a talented passer to elevate a roster that he’s spent two years stockpiling with talent.
Arnold struggled with the Sooners’ lack of wide receiver talent, especially after a wave of injuries hit that group early in the season. At Auburn, he won’t have to worry about the talent on the outside with former five-star Cam Coleman heading into his sophomore campaign and Freeze’s addition of Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr. However, after Knight’s big day in the spring game, Arnold does have to worry about another talented freshman, like Hawkins, breathing down his neck.
Freeze is essentially attempting QB rehab with Arnold, and as we’ve seen in the NFL with Tua Tagovailoa’s growth under Mike McDaniel or Sam Darnold’s resurgence with Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, that process starts with rebuilding the player’s confidence. That’s the biggest reason why Freeze needed to reassure Arnold and the fanbase that the OU transfer is his guy heading into Week 1, but it’s also good for Knight.
At 6-foot-4, 213 pounds with dual-threat ability and an impressive left arm, Knight has gobs of potential, and he’s already ahead of schedule, but Freeze needs to be sure he’s not rushed onto the field. Oftentimes, when a player like Knight, with his athleticism (a two-time Mississippi state champion in the long jump), is rushed onto the field, they lean too heavily on their physical gifts and develop bad habits.
Knight is suddenly one of the most valuable and intriguing players on Auburn’s roster, maybe even the type of talent who could guarantee some long-term job security, so Freeze must handle his development delicately. That’s the difficult reality for a college football coach, balancing winning now with preserving the future, and shutting down rumors of a QB competition between Arnold and Knight serves both interests.