Oklahoma Sooners lose starting quarterback Jackson Arnold to the transfer portal
In a move that won't really surprise anyone, Oklahoma Sooners' starting quarterback Jackson Arnold announced that he was entering the transfer portal Wednesday afternoon. Arnold started nine games for the Sooners and opened the year as the starter, but was benched in Week 4 for freshman Michael Hawkins. Arnold re-entered the lineup against South Carolina […]
In a move that won't really surprise anyone, Oklahoma Sooners' starting quarterback Jackson Arnold announced that he was entering the transfer portal Wednesday afternoon.
Arnold started nine games for the Sooners and opened the year as the starter, but was benched in Week 4 for freshman Michael Hawkins. Arnold re-entered the lineup against South Carolina and remained as the starter for the rest of the season.
Arnold passed for 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season, a pitiful number for a multi-game starter for the Sooners. He also finished second on the team in rushing yards with 444 and third on the team in rushing touchdowns.
This move was a long time coming. Arnold just never put it together, capped off by a disastrous showing against Missouri that ended up costing the Sooners a win.
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Arnold was a poor processor, frequently passing up open wide receivers in favor of rushing. Combined with his abysmal pocket presence, Arnold took too many sacks and killed the Sooners with his frequent turnovers. He only had three interceptions, but his 10 fumbles frequently came at the worst times in the biggest moments.
By the end of the season, Oklahoma was using Arnold like they used Blake Bell, and that's simply unsustainable when you have to win in the SEC, as evidenced by their final game against LSU.
For the Sooners, it was a gamble they couldn't afford to take. With coaches on the hot seat, they have to be 100% certain that their starting quarterback next year is a quality one. In my opinion, Arnold isn't salvageable in the timeline that Oklahoma needs him to be, and they can't afford to wait.
It's a good decision for Arnold to try and find a fresh start somewhere else. He can go start at a good Group of Five or lower-end Power Four school next season to try and rebuild his confidence, but it wasn't going to work out at Oklahoma for him.
