Jackson Arnold explains how Oklahoma joining the SEC factored into his recruitment

The opportunity to compete in the SEC was a big reason why Jackson Arnold committed to play for Oklahoma. The former five-star prospect gave his pledge to play for the Sooners in January of 2022 after it had already been announced that they planned to leave the Big 12.

Now he enters his first year as starting quarterback in Norman during what will also be OU’s inaugural season in the SEC. Speaking on The Paul Finebaum Show on Tuesday, Arnold explained how he grew up with watching the SEC and one day hoped to play in it.

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“I was actually recruited when there were talks of OU joining the SEC,” he said. “So for me it was kind of a recruiting piece. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and lived there for the first 10 years of my life. So I grew up watching SEC football. I grew up watching those teams. So for me, it was really special that I knew that I was joining a team that was going to be playing in the SEC.”

Arnold later moved to Texas and played high school football for Guyer High School in Denton. He ranked as the No. 8 overall player and No. 4 quarterback in the 2023 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

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In the season opener against Temple, he showed off the talent that had him so highly rated coming out of high school. Arnold threw for 141 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone as the Sooners rolled to a 51-3 victory against the Owls.

Of course, the competition will get much stuff once SEC play rolls around and Arnold knows that from growing up watching the conference. His play will be a big factor in determining just how well Oklahoma performs in its first year as a member of the league.

Thankfully, Arnold still has a couple more nonconference games to warm up and build chemistry with his receivers before SEC play begins. The Sooners’ first conference contest will be Sept. 28 at home against Tennessee, and you can believe the quarterback will be ready for that one.