Jackson Arnold, a former five-star recruit, had enough promise for Oklahoma coaches to feel confident letting starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel transfer to Oregon this offseason.
However, after a third of his first full season as the Sooners’ starter, Arnold has been benched in favor of freshman Michael Hawkins. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables announced on Monday that Hawkins will be the starter when the team visits Auburn for its SEC opener on Saturday.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Venables said of Hawkins, according to The Oklahoman. “There were several times when we faced edge pressure that we didn’t block, and he managed to evade it. He has playmaking ability and can be a threat with his legs.”
Arnold has decent stats through four games this season, completing 61 of 102 passes for 538 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions. However, he was taken out late in the first half of last week’s game against the Volunteers after a performance that saw him go 7-for-16 for 54 yards with one interception.
Despite this, Venables expressed confidence in Arnold’s future as a productive quarterback. The sophomore from Denton, Texas, was the top-rated player in the talent-rich 2023 signing class.
“Jackson’s going to have an amazing future and career,” Venables stated via ESPN. “He’s going to play this game for a long time, and everything will work itself out in due time.”
The kickoff for the Auburn-Oklahoma game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be broadcast live on ABC.
