Freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold during the game against BYU on Nov. 18.
Jackson Arnold wants the ball in his hands in every play.
Having started 31 games at Denton Guyer High School, passing for 7,497 yards and 67 touchdowns before heading to Oklahoma as an early enrollee last January, it was an adjustment for him not starting any games or earning first-team reps in practice. He attempted passes in just three games this season, completing 18 of 24 for 202 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
He sat behind New Mexico State quarterback Eli Stowers during his sophomore year of high school, but it didn’t make it any easier during his first year of college ball. His most meaningful playing time came in relief of starter Dillon Gabriel in the second half against BYU on the road where he audibled and zipped a game-sealing toss through traffic to wide receiver Jalil Farooq.
“Honestly,” Jackson’s father Todd told OU Daily. “I know he was smiles and he was happy for Dillon when Dillon leads them to a score or Dillon scores. … (But), he likes to play football. So it's tough for him to have a year where half the time he's not on the field or half the games he’s not even playing in the game.
“I mean, he’s used to the ball going through his hands every play.”
Now, following Gabriel’s transfer to Oregon, Arnold has been handed the keys to the Sooners’ offense for next season and beyond. He’ll make his first collegiate start in the Alamo Bowl when No. 12 OU (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) faces No. 14 Arizona (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) at 8:15 p.m. Dec. 28 in San Antonio on ESPN in what is seemingly a preseason game for 2024 and a sneak peek at what Oklahoma’s offense could look like moving forward.
JFA SZN 🔥@_JacksonArnold_ | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/yZ7gOLgr3I
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 16, 2023
He’s built a relationship with offensive coordinator Seth Littrell throughout the season as the two arrived in Norman at similar times. The former North Texas head coach, who recruited Arnold while he was in high school, attended every quarterback meeting in 2023 and was always offering Gabriel and Arnold tidbits of knowledge.
Arnold and Littrell will have a plethora of weapons to work with in the SEC as the Sooners return receivers Farooq, Andrel Anthony, Nic Anderson, Jayden Gibson and Jaquaize Pettaway and running back Gavin Sawchuk.
“I’ve been watching (Jackson) since he’s been here, I’ve watched him grow up,” Farooq said after a bowl practice. “Him being stepping up into a new role, I'm very excited to see him play in the bowl game. I truly can't wait to see him showcase his talent. He's a great dude, a great leader and he can sling it.”
OU also signed former Purdue wide receiver Deion Burks, who caught 47 passes for 629 yards and seven touchdowns last season, from the portal and signed four-star running back Taylor Tatum and four-star tight end Davon Mitchell Wednesday during National Signing Day.
Even while Gabriel will be in Eugene, Oregon, he can’t help but marvel at the talent on Oklahoma’s roster next season. He said he’ll be tuned in to the Alamo Bowl for a preview.
“I'm super confident in them,” Gabriel told OU Daily this week. “I think the returning pieces are going to be key. … Quarterback, running back and receiver and even in the tight end room, I know though they'll have some returning guys.
“I feel confident in them. I'm excited for (Arnold) and I know that's a move that everyone was excited for. The great matchups are gonna be fun to watch.”
One thing for certain is Arnold — equipped with a year of learning behind Gabriel, a rapport with Littrell and an eagerness to have the game run through his hands — is ready to showcase his talent ahead of a new era of Sooners football.
“It’s tough (not playing),” Todd said. “But, he's better off (he was able to sit behind Gabriel). You need to learn to be patient. He's still hungry, he wants to play. I would tell him before every game to be ready and take advantage of any opportunity that he gets.
“Now, this opportunity has presented itself and I think he's ready to take advantage of it.”
Freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold during Walk of Champions on Nov. 24.
‘Supported one another’
Arnold’s close relationship with Gabriel dates to when he committed to Oklahoma during his junior year at Guyer.
The two hung out when Arnold visited Norman as Gabriel hosted his recruitment trips and they spoke on the phone frequently. Arnold even answered one of Gabriel’s frequent FaceTime calls during a high school final exam.
But their friendship and Gabriel’s mentorship of Arnold grew stronger throughout the 2023 season. Whether it was competing in practice, supporting each other’s successes and shortcomings or going on double dates with their girlfriends, the two share a bond that will last longer than their time with the Sooners.
“We just hit it off and we're really close,” Gabriel said. “We competed really well but also just supported one another in the journey of being a quarterback and it's been beneficial both ways.
“When I was playing, he was a great backup in terms of asking great questions, being supportive and not complaining. Not saying I've been around it, but I've heard horror stories about (drama with backup quarterbacks) and he was anything but that. He's just a great friend of mine. We had a lot of fun this year.”
🫶🏼🫶🏼 be great 8!! https://t.co/aFHWlxknDQ
— Jackson Arnold (@_JacksonArnold_) December 4, 2023
Arnold intently watched the way Gabriel handled himself on the practice field and in the meeting room, picking up any pointers he could along the way. The former highly touted recruit has been described by those that know him best as a “silent leader,” and someone who leads by example.
Gabriel was impressed with the way Arnold entered the game vs. the Cougars in Provo and wasn’t surprised by his poise and confidence.
“He's very mature for his age,” Gabriel said. “Coming out of high school, he was a very talented player and he's confident in what he can do. I just think he's going to be able to play loose in his first start knowing that he's played in spurts throughout the year.
“And really what he's going to do is just play free and have fun. That's who I've known Jackson to be so being able to see that and be a part of his journey (has been cool). I have a lot of confidence in him.”
Gabriel and Arnold’s dynamic was a welcome sight for OU fans following the Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams debacles. By all accounts the transition from a two-year starter in Gabriel to the shiny freshman five-star has been seamless.
With a loaded offense returning, new pieces added, the opportunity to start in the SEC and the culture Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is creating, Arnold couldn’t ask for a better job to walk into following Gabriel’s tenure in Norman.
“I don't know that he could have gotten this type of ease into a situation anywhere else,” Todd said. “I just think everything was there and it made things simple and easy to learn, easier to implement, like it's just it's taken a lot of stress off.”
OU football assistant quarterbacks coach Matt Holecek, Dillon Gabriel, General Booty, Jackson Arnold, OU football offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jeff Lebby, Davis Beville and Jacob Switzer after the game against TCU on Nov. 24.
‘Keep things consistent’
The last month has been chaotic for Arnold even though after a bowl practice he said not much has changed but the reps.
Gabriel’s portal entry sent waves around the country even though most expected Gabriel to move on after this season despite an extra year of eligibility remaining due to Arnold’s talent behind him. His goal was to go pro, but his draft grade wasn’t where he thought it’d be so with the transition OU wanted to make and the opportunities he had elsewhere, he decided to take advantage of another college season and link with the Ducks.
Due to Gabriel’s success in 2023 and the desire around the country for veteran quarterbacks, some wondered if he would stay with Oklahoma and lead it to the SEC. Arnold was asked about the possibility and his answer, albeit an obvious one, raised some eyebrows.
“I would have had to evaluate where I was at here for sure,” Arnold said. “I was not swayed either which way on what I would have done but obviously when something like that happens, you have to take a step back and see.”
Not only did he learn he’d be making his first start earlier than expected, but he’ll do it with a new offensive coordinator. Even while Arnold committed to former OU OC Jeff Lebby, who left to take the Mississippi State head coaching job on Nov. 26, Todd told OU Daily within minutes of reports surfacing that his son was fully committed to Oklahoma.
The Arnolds weren’t surprised Lebby was offered the opportunity and even discussed the possibility with him during Arnold’s high school recruitment. They were confident Lebby wasn’t moving on for another coordinator job, which came to fruition when he didn’t leave for the Alabama job last season, and admired Venables’ ability to adapt and his long-term vision for the program.
The family was never going to make a rash decision after Lebby’s departure. Sharon, Jackson’s mother, and Todd both feel most comfortable their son is with Venables and in a familiar environment where he can flourish.
Just ask the last starting quarterback.
“I believe that the best teams are always when you can keep things consistent,” Gabriel said. “How can you keep a group together? I think coach Littrell’s going to do a great job of that and for Jackson, just being able to work with him this past year and obviously taking a bigger step in the relationship this upcoming year, and even in this bowl game, it's only going to help both of them.”
Gabriel is a fan of Littrell and is excited to see him step up and control an offense with Arnold at the helm.
“(Littrell) was around the quarterbacks a bunch,” Gabriel said. “So he's a familiar face and a guy we've heard a bunch from, just in crossing conversations. It was special to have him, (offensive analyst Matt Wells), coach Lebby, a bunch of great offensive minds in one meeting room.
“You look back, it's actually very special and I was glad to be a part of it. But for Jackson, just knowing that the language will be the same, the continuity of players and a coach, a familiar face, but also (co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley.) I think the combination of all of those is only going to help him.”
Freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold during the game against Tulsa on Sept. 16.
‘Born ready’
Arnold isn’t a stranger to change.
Following his junior year of high school, Guyer’s then-head coach Rodney Webb stepped down to take the athletic director job at Highland Park. The school then promoted defensive coordinator Reed Heim and he and Arnold hit it off right away.
While Lebby is a product of the Art Briles system and Littrell comes from Mike Leach’s Air Raid tree, people close to Littrell believe he’ll sprinkle a little bit of both into his play calling. Webb, who maintains a close relationship with the Arnolds, doesn’t expect any drop off with Arnold from Lebby to Littrell just like he didn’t when he left Guyer.
“It will be as seamless as it can possibly be for both those guys,” Webb told the OU Daily. “Jackson has a dynamic enough quality as a quarterback. … He is made to play a lot of different styles and it was so fun to coach him in high school because he could do so many things at a high level. The creativity that a coach can use with a guy like him, it just makes it fun to coach offense.”
Venables has never wavered in his trust in Arnold.
Seemingly deciding to replace a player like Gabriel — who is eighth on the NCAA’s all-time passing yards list and threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2023 — is not an insignificant decision. But Arnold’s talent speaks for itself and the praise the coaches and players have for how he handles himself has been consistent since he arrived on campus.
Arnold says the game plan hasn’t been changed since Gabriel’s exit and the first team reps he’s taking to prepare for the bowl game aren’t condensed or simplified in any way.
“Having the coaches’ trust is a huge thing for me,” Arnold said. “And knowing the coaches are trusting me to go out and perform my best and they're not changing the game plan whatsoever. … That trust they have in me is really special to me.”
College life was an adjustment for Arnold in his first season having to learn Lebby’s intricate offense while juggling school. While Arnold just finished finals, his biggest test awaits in San Antonio.
The upcoming challenge reminds Webb of his favorite Jackson Arnold story.
During his junior season, in his first game as the full-time starter, Webb stood on the sideline, looked at Arnold and sensed the young player was feeling some nerves. Right before Arnold jogged out onto the field, Webb offered him some words of encouragement.
“Hey man,” he said. “Are you ready for this?”
“Coach,” Arnold answered. “I was born ready.”
