Former Oklahoma quarterback recalls his 'welcome to the SEC' moment against South Carolina
Jackson Arnold’s first year starting in the SEC didn’t go as he had planned. Throughout 2024, the former Oklahoma quarterback endured plenty of struggles in a year he described as “tough.”
Those tough times began when the former five-star recruit was benched in only his fifth start against Tennessee on Sept. 21 after committing three turnovers before halftime. Backup Michael Hawkins Jr. came in and led the Sooners to a pair of touchdown drives in a 25-15 loss to the Vols.
“Obviously not ideal whatsoever,” Arnold said at SEC Media Days, describing his 2024 season, “but I think perseverance was a big thing that I learned last year and kind of fighting through the tough times.”
Arnold would take a backseat for the next two games as Hawkins earned the starting spot under center. He wouldn’t see the field again until Oct. 19 against South Carolina, when Hawkins fumbled and threw two early interceptions as Oklahoma fell behind 21-0 just five minutes into the game.
That’s when Arnold’s “welcome to the SEC” moment came, as he entered to replace Hawkins and faced a ruthless Gamecock defense the rest of the way.
“I mean, shoot, I remember walking out against South Carolina,” Arnold said. “I’m like, “God, dude.’ Their D-line was unbelievable last year.”
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On a day when South Carolina broke a program record with nine sacks in one game, Arnold took most of those hits and was sacked eight times. He went 18-for-36 passing for 225 yards and one touchdown, but the sacks were what he remembers the most from that game.
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“I’m like, gosh, dude, these dudes, their d-line was absolutely huge. You’ve got freaking 6-foot-6, looks like twins on the outside edges,” he said. “They hit hard that game, and they had a really good defense. I think that was probably the biggest ‘welcome to the SEC’ moment.”
Unsurprisingly, South Carolina went on to win dominantly, handing the Sooners a 26-point loss. Funnily enough, one week later, Arnold was once again sacked eight times, this time by Ole Miss’ defense.
Arnold finished the season throwing for 1,421 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He transferred from Oklahoma to Auburn ahead of this season, in hopes of seeking a fresh start.
Coincidence or not, he’ll avoid having to play the Gamecocks for a second straight year. Auburn doesn’t appear on South Carolina’s schedule in 2025. But Oklahoma will make a return trip to Columbia — without Arnold — to face South Carolina on Oct. 18.
“Now I fully understand what it’s like playing a long SEC schedule against some good teams and playing in those tough games where it’s extremely close and you have to kind of grind it out,” Arnold said. “But I think last year taught me a lot, being able to persevere and really sticking through those tough games.”
