Oklahoma rising-sophomore quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] enrolled early and will enter 2024 as the starter in Norman.
Arnold was ranked a five-star quarterback and a top 10 player nationally in the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports. He was heavily pursued by [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag] and Notre Dame.
Notre Dame almost landed Arnold, too, but something very specific about the campus didn’t sit well with him. Arnold was on the “Red Dirt Rambles” podcast and shared just how close he was to wearing blue and gold.
“If I wasn’t here, I’d probably be at Notre Dame right now,” Arnold said. “If (Jeff Lebby) didn’t get hired here or if it were a different coach other than Coach (Brent Venables), who knows where I’d be right now?”
Teammate and wide receiver target Nic Anderson co-hosts the podcast and shared how close he was to going to Notre Dame as well.
“I almost went to Notre Dame, but their dorms scared me away,” said Anderson, who also mentioned not being a fan of their public bathrooms. “That’s what scared me because I’m low key a germaphobe. … But it didn’t end up being the determining factor.”
Arnold started the Alamo Bowl in December against Arizona. He had ups and downs, completing 26 of 45 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing three interceptions in the loss.
After Arnold turned down Notre Dame, the Irish staff turned their focus elsewhere for a quarterback in the class, ultimately getting a commitment from [autotag]Kenny Minchey[/autotag].
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