On3 5-Star Countdown: No. 12, QB Jackson Arnold

With regular season high school football finished across the country, On3 has released its second-to-last rankings update for the 2023 recruiting cycle. Ranking as the No. 12 overall player in the 2023 On300 and earning five-star status is Location (Texas) School quarterback and Oklahoma commit Jackson Arnold.

Arnold rose from a previous ranking of No. 26.

The latest edition of On3’s 2023 rankings features 26 five-star players, up from 23 in the previous update in September. Of those 26 prospects, 19 are currently committed to college programs. While some recruits may have played their last down as a high schooler, evaluations — both in-person and on tape — are far from over.

This latest ranking sets the table for the important final ranking in January 2023. That final update comes after postseason all-star games, where top prospects across the country face off in a week of practices and end with a game.

National Signing Day is also right around the corner, with the Early Signing Period starting December 21 and postseason all-star games right after that.

What makes Jackson Arnold an On3 five-star recruit?

On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power breaks down why Arnold was elevated to five-star status.

“Jackson Arnold’s having having a great senior season. He’s playing in the top classification inTexas high school football. He’s really had a phenomenal year both as a passer and a runner. I think he shown a complete skill set. The arm talent, we were aware of, especially after seeing him throw in person at the Elite 11 and Future 50. With his quick release and the way the ball comes out of his hand and the velocity, it’s among the best in the cycle. We knew that coming into the season, and I think just wanting to see how he played as a senior.

“He’s continued to improve as a senior, which is really what you want to see when you’re looking at these top quarterback prospects. You want to see continual progression, improvement. Really the top quarterbacks, ideally, should dominate as seniors. He’s definitely doing that. He’s had really good — I would say great — showings in these showcase games. He had game on ESPN against Allen where he was basically flawless. On Friday night in the second round of playoffs in a big game against Highland Park, which is a perennial power, had six touchdowns and two incompletions in the game.

“There’s an argument to be made that Jackson Arnold given the competition he plays and how good he is in high school — along with the physical in the arm talent — there’s an argument to be made he has the highest floor of all these top quarterbacks. I could see him being able to probably play and play well early in his college career, maybe compared to some of the others too. There’s just less guesswork in his evaluation, given the competition level and how good he is right now.”