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Oklahoma

Behind the scenes of Jackson Arnold's departure and Oklahoma's pursuit of John Mateer

headshotby: George Stoia09/17/25GeorgeStoia
Jackson Arnold
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) walks away from a huddle before the fourth quarter during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

In the days following Oklahoma's loss to LSU, Jackson Arnold sat down with his family to discuss the possibility of entering the transfer portal. Arnold was coming off a tumultuous second year in Norman. He had been benched as the starting quarterback in the fourth game of the season, his offensive coordinator was fired halfway through the year, he had been sacked 34 times due to an injury-riddled offensive line, and a fanbase that once proclaimed him as the next great OU quarterback was already clamoring for who the Sooners could land in the portal.