Arnold could be in the position to live up to his potential Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Auburn Starting QB Named an Underrated Heisman Candidate by CBS Sports

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI | By Dre Gaines | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 11:12 AM ET

Auburn, Ala.- CBS’s Brad Crawford composed a list of 10 undervalued college football long shots that could possibly bring the Heisman Trophy home. The list included Auburn Tigers Transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold.

This is the time of the year when experts begin making their predictions on the upcoming football season, and the Auburn Tigers appear to be turning a lot of heads during this period.

Arnold was listed as the third most underrated player that could bring home the prestigious Heisman trophy with +6000 odds. Auburn has featured inconsistent quarterback play over the last few seasons, and Hugh Freeze hopes that the former five-star recruit is the answer.

The new starting quarterback on the Plains was the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners for most of the 2024 season. He was benched due to inconsistent play midseason before getting the job back after a couple games. However, it is hard to blame him when almost his entire receiver corps was injured.

Now, Arnold has a receiving corps that is one of the best in college football. He has an opportunity to throw the ball to transfer Eric Singleton Jr. and returning star sophomore Cam Coleman.

The offensive line for the Tigers has also been revamped to give added protection to the quarterback. Freeze brought in USC transfer Mason Murphy, who appears to have solidified the right tackle position, and Xavier Chaplin, the transfer from Virginia Tech.

Arnold also displayed his ability to use his legs. In the upset win over Auburn’s archrival, Alabama, Arnold rushed for 131 yards on 25 carries as the Sooners defeated Alabama, 24-3. Auburn hasn’t beaten the Crimson Tide since the 2019 season. Arnold is one of two quarterbacks to rush for 130 or more yards against the Crimson Tide in the last 20 seasons, the other being former Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.

With Freeze needing a positive season, he will rely heavily on Jackson Arnold to bring the winning culture and potentially a Heisman trophy back to the plains.