Jackson Arnold has the right makeup to be great for Oklahoma

Going into his first year as a starter, Jackson Arnold has the makeup to make Oklahoma a contender in 2024.

It’s easy to take a few throws from one game and attempt to write a narrative about a player. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] received limited playing time throughout the 2023 season as the backup to [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], but what we saw out of Arnold was really good.

He threw passes in just four games, but those performances gave us an indication of the guy that Oklahoma will have at the helm in 2024.

Att/Comp Pass Yards Pass TDs INT Rush Yards Rush TDs
Arkansas State 11/11 114 1 0 39 1
Tulsa 2/4 55 1 0 0 0
BYU 5/9 33 0 0 24 0
Arizona 26/45 361 2 3 38 0

In his limited performance, a few things stood out.

1. Willing to sling it

Dillon Gabriel was really good for Oklahoma. So was Jeff Lebby. However, that combination was a little risk averse at times. It paid off in fewer turnovers, but there were times that Oklahoma didn’t attack the first down marker in key situations. Jackson Arnold doesn’t have that same risk aversion.

Jackson Arnold has a little more gunslinger to him. There isn’t a throw he can’t make and that will cause him to take some chances that maybe some other quarterbacks won’t. It’ll pay off more often than not.

Arnold showed he’s willing to throw 50-50 balls, taking advantage of his big receivers like [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag].

Sure, you don’t want your quarterback throwing three interceptions a game and having four turnovers, but it’s unlikely Arnold’s going to have that many games like that.

2. Arm to deliver it

As good as Dillon Gabriel was for the Sooners, there were a number of occasions where his lack of arm strength hurt the Sooners. The receiver would have to come back for the ball, creating contested catch situations when a receiver had more than a step on the defensive back.

As we saw in his action in 2023 and in the spring game, Arnold’s got more than enough arm to get the ball down the field to his receivers when they get behind the defense.

3. Intangibles matter

The stuff that makes up the greats in college football’s past are the things you can’t quantify on a stat sheet.

Brent Venables has raved about Jackson Arnold’s attitude and demeanor.

“Jackson is as talented of a player as there is in college football,” Venables shared with Paul Finebaum during SEC Day 1. “He’s a winner. He’s won his whole life. Smart guy. Great instincts. He’s got a tremendous skill set. He’s got great toughness to him. He can run it. He can throw it. And, again, this is a game of development. … Wherever he ended the season last year in his first collegiate start, he’ll be on another planet.”

Entering in the second half of the BYU game with little notice, Arnold was prepared. Lebby and the Sooners’ offensive staff didn’t ask much of their then-true freshman quarterback, but he came through when called upon.

Arnold has approached this opportunity with confidence and humility. He’s been about the work as he takes over for Dillon Gabriel.

Nothing is guaranteed in college football, but Arnold has the talent and the mindset to be a big-time producer at Oklahoma. Despite the challenges the Sooners face in 2024, they have a quarterback that could put Oklahoma in a position to make a significant splash in year one in the SEC.

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