He could turn things around.
Hugh Freeze Reveals What Sold Him on Jackson Arnold originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2024 season marked the fourth consecutive losing season for the Auburn Tigers and the fifth consecutive season of winning six games or fewer.
The Tigers have not experienced four consecutive losing seasons since they had five in a row from 1946 to 1950. A major factor in last season's disappointment was the offense. Auburn ranked No. 29 in total offense, No. 28 in passing offense, No. 62 in rushing offense and No. 71 in scoring offense.
Although the statistics aren’t terrible, the main problem for the offense was turnovers. Last season, Auburn ranked 105th in turnovers lost, with a total of 22. Of those turnovers, 13 were interceptions, and nine were fumbles.
Auburn has secured one of the most highly regarded prospects from the 2023 recruiting class, Jackson Arnold, in an effort to revitalize its offense. On the show "See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack," head coach Hugh Freeze discussed what attracted him to Arnold, despite Arnold's difficulties with the Oklahoma Sooners last season.
"Truthfully, it comes from what I saw out of him coming out of high school," Freeze said. "I just thought he was elite. He was Gatorade Player of the Year. ... I thought he had all of the natural ability to run the offense that I want to run."
Freeze noted that Oklahoma's preference for Arnold over Dillon Gabriel last season was evident when they allowed Gabriel to transfer to the Oregon Ducks.
Gabriel had an incredible season, throwing for 3,857 yards, with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions, while leading Oregon to a Big Ten championship and securing the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
Freeze notes that Arnold faced considerable challenges last season. He played under several offensive coordinators, lacked his top five wide receivers for much of the year and had to work with a makeshift offensive line due to injuries.
Arnold finished last season with 1,421 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He was benched during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers in favor of true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who went on to start the next three games, including a victory over Auburn. However, Arnold returned to the lineup in the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks after Hawkins struggled. Ultimately, Arnold ended the season as the starting quarterback.
Freeze expressed that his main concern was restoring the swagger and confidence in Arnold that he observed during high school. He believes Arnold has regained it based on his performance in the offseason.
Although Arnold's career hasn't met the high expectations from high school, Freeze believes that the best is still ahead.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC QB Who Had a 'Pretty Miserable Season'
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
