Jackson Arnold connects with Gavin Freeman for touchdown late in spring game

Oklahoma five-star freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold showed Sooners fans a glimpse of what the future could be like late in Saturday’s spring game. With the red team trailing the white by six points, Arnold found second-year receiver Gavin Freeman across the middle and a well-placed throw for the game-tying touchdown.

The score set up a two-point conversion attempt to win the game, though Arnold’s throw ended up being dropped. According to the spring game scoring system, the defensive stop resulted in two points to give the white team the 84-82 win. You can view Arnold’s throw below.

.@_JacksonArnold_ throwin' darts 🎯#OUDNA pic.twitter.com/HAaNChE9cs

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) April 22, 2023

The touchdown was Arnold’s first and only of the day, flashing the skill that made him one of the most sought-after prospects in the 2023 class. He ranked as the No. 8 overall player and No. 4 quarterback according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Arnold won the 2022-23 Gatorade Football Player of the Year Award after throwing for 3,476 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions as a senior at Denton Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. He chose to play for Oklahoma over offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame and many others.

Jackson Arnold got off to a slow start in Oklahoma’s spring game, completing just 3-of-9 passes for 22 yards in the first half. He also had a nearly 60-yard touchdown run that was called back. But he finished the afternoon on a strong note with the late touchdown.

Unique scoring system result in high-scoring spring game

Although the final score might make it seem as if the spring game were an offensive shootout, it was really a result of a scoring system that rewarded the defense.

Defensive touchdowns were worth 12 points as opposed to the typical six for the offense, while turnovers, fourth-down stops and missed field goals were worth seven points. Additionally, each forced punt was five points and sacks and pass breakups were worth three and two, respectively.

Offensively, the only change to regular scoring was that plays of 15-plus yards were worth two points.

The Sooners offense didn’t score a touchdown until the second quarter when Dillon Gabriel connected with Jalil Farooq for the first of three touchdowns in the quarter. Ultimately offense, defense, special teams — and even the fans — all had their moments in what was a fun Oklahoma spring game on Saturday.