The last two years have been the [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] show under center at the University of Oklahoma. But now we are heading into a new era, the [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] era.
The last time we saw Arnold in action, he had one month to prepare against a really good team with a new playcaller. He made some plays that made you say, “Wow” but he also made some plays that left you scratching your head. It was a very typical first start for a true freshman.
While most want to focus on the three interceptions, he also threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on five carries if you take out the sacks.
Now Arnold has an entire offseason to prepare to be the Sooners starter on their way into the SEC.
But it’s not just him that’s impressed the coaches this offseason. Brent Venables shared with the media what he’s seen from his group of gunslingers.
“The whole position is doing really good,” Venables said. “[autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] has gotten lots of reps, too. But between Jackson, Mike (Hawkins), Brendan, and (General) Booty, Casey’s (Thompson) taking every mental rep. He’s right there next to me when we’ve got the team settings. I feel great. We’re in the best position that we’ve been in since we’ve been here.”
That has coincided with a lot of what we’ve heard about how impressive Hawkins has been this spring. A lot of people were worried about the depth there because Arnold only has started one game and Thompson has the only real experience but is coming off an ACL injury.
Venables’ words say a lot about the quarterback situation. There’s a lot of talent there, and in just a few months, Arnold and the rest of the quarterbacks will have a chance to prove it.
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