Jackson Arnold buzzing with excitement to play in Jordan-Hare Stadium

Former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn this offseason, affording him the chance to play in one of college football’s most unique environments. But it won’t be totally new for him.

He was there when the Sooners took on the Tigers on The Plains last season, though he had to watch Michael Hawkins lead the team at quarterback in that one. Now he’ll get to be the guy leading the team out in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“Extremely excited,” Arnold said at SEC Media Days. “We did play there last year and as an opponent it was unbelievable in that stadium. So the only thing I’m sad about is I won’t be able to see the eagle fly pregame. But super excited about playing there.”

Jackson Arnold had an up-and-down stint at Oklahoma. He was looking for a fresh start this offseason and found it in the form of Hugh Freeze and Auburn.

The Tigers are hoping they can get the quarterback who has shown so many flashes of brilliance as a dual-threat option, rather than the second-year player who struggled quite a bit. There will likely be some development required.

Still, after throwing for 1,984 yards and 16 touchdowns over the last two years — to go along with 560 yards rushing and four scores — Jackson Arnold is eager to show what he can do. And sometimes a simple reset is all that’s needed for things to snap back into focus.

Jackson Arnold gets a mental reset

As he adjusts to his new team, Arnold is in a much better place mentally, according to some comments he made at SEC Media Days. Evidently, he’s ready to attack the sport with a new perspective at Auburn, and that could mean great things are on the horizon for the highly-touted quarterback.

“It’s been great,” Jackson Arnold stated, regarding the move from Norman to Auburn. “I think this off-season has been good for me mentally. Just kind of being a new place, getting a fresh start, being around new people, new coaches, new players. New scenery, too. Honestly, I think Auburn’s beautiful. It has great scenery.

“I think, for me, mentally, I needed to be in a new spot, to be around some other people in order to thrive. I feel like God put me in the great position that I’m in right now, and I’m super excited.”

On3’s Steve Samra also contributed to this report.