Entering the second week of his first spring camp, Jackson Arnold is focused on learning what he can to position himself for the future.
The five-star quarterback recruit and top-ranked prospect of OU’s 2023 recruiting class is learning the transition from high school to college with help from starter Dillon Gabriel and veteran backups Davis Beville and General Booty.
“I feel good so far, learning everything I can from all the other quarterbacks in the room,” Arnold said Wednesday. “Obviously being in college and the pace of the play is different, so (I’m) just getting used to that now and getting used to the playbook has been really helpful so far.”
#Sooners QB Jackson Arnold talked about learning from Dillon Gabriel. Here’s some of what he said after practice on Wednesday: pic.twitter.com/aIStgwPYhj
— OU Daily Sports (@OUDailySports) March 30, 2023
When Arnold officially signed with the Sooners, he received a playbook to start learning offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s offense.
While he didn’t quite understand the terminology yet, spring practices have aided Arnold’s training in that regard.
“I never realized how much of a benefit it truly was,” Arnold said of his early enrollment. “I thought if I came before the summer, I could learn this offense pretty quickly, get used to learning how to essentially play this offense in the fall pretty quick. That (idea) was just wrong.
“It's not easy learning this offense. It's not easy, going out and playing this offense. (I’m) just taking it one day at a time.”
Arnold also said it helps having Gabriel, a veteran in Lebby’s system, and other older position mates, around to answer his questions. Gabriel originally hosted Arnold’s first in-person visit and the two have continued building a relationship.
“He's just a good dude,” Gabriel said of Arnold on March 22. “Physically, he's got everything. … But he’s just learning and going through, you know, freshman things. More than his game, I just like the type of person he is.
“I think it takes that kind of person to be a quarterback, being super selfless, loving and caring. And that's what we need, not ‘me guys,’ but ‘we guys.’”
Freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold during Sooners' spring practices on March 27.
Through both Gabriel and other quarterbacks on the roster, Arnold has used their guidance to his advantage. Particularly after practices, Arnold will ask his teammates what he can improve with his technique.
“After sets of team (practices) or whatnot, I’ll go up to the quarterbacks (and they) help walk me through what I did good, what I did wrong (and) what I need to improve on,” Arnold said. “It’s super helpful having people there to have your back essentially.”
Arnold was the No. 4-ranked quarterback and No. 8 recruit nationally of the 2023 class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings. While his talent is evident, Arnold is still adjusting to the rigors of college practices compared to high school, where he became one of the most sought-after prospects in the country.
“(I’ve learned) just how intense the practices are,” Arnold said. “In high school we never did too much offense versus defense. I feel like here that is all we do, it’s just straight competition 24/7, and I like that a lot.
"It’s only going to make me better. ... It's been really good so far."
Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby has quickly noticed the work ethic from the five-star quarterback. According to the second-year play caller, Arnold has spent extra time studying the offense.
“The fact that he's come in, and he's picked everything up and he's worked incredibly hard (is great),” Lebby said March 20. “He’s spent a ton of time in the building on his own.
“He understands what it means to be the guy here and understands what it's going to take for him to get to that point and, so he's spent a lot of time and done a really good job there.”
Arnold is ready to showcase his talents and his continual understanding of a new offense in Oklahoma’s spring game on April 22.
“I’m really excited,” Arnold said. “It’s been my dream since I was little to play college ball and to be able to come up (this) spring and go through something of a game, essentially. It's gonna be really, really cool, and I'm really excited for it.”
This story was edited by Austin Curtright.
