David Pollack Thinks Auburn Tigers can Become 'Dangerous Freaking Animal'

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers are going all-in on former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold. While Deuce Knight can be the quarterback of the future on the Plains, he’s not ready to take on SEC defenses, and the future is now for the Tigers. 

One of the best defenders in SEC history, three-time All-American David Pollack, understands what can give defenses fits, and he thinks Freeze should and will take advantage of Arnold’s mobility. 

That said, there’s no guarantee Arnold will run Freeze’s offense seamlessly right out of the gate. 

"The biggest question mark is Jackson Arnold, and it's not even close," Pollack declared on his See Ball Get Ball podcast. "Last year was tough. But I do think the one thing that I know about [Arnold] is that he's an elite runner. And I do know Hugh Freeze with an elite runner at quarterback is a dangerous freaking animal.

“Because then he gets to the RPO game, the quick game. He changes tempo as good as anybody in the country with the green light and red light. They'll come up to the line of scrimmage and go 'fast, fast, fast' but then they'll wait for the last second on the play clock."

While last year’s quarterback, Payton Thorne, was a good athlete, he had trouble with the nuances of the “option” part of the run/pass option. His decision-making in the heat of battle left a lot to be desired. Still, Pollack believes Arnold is an upgrade as a runner as well. 

"They just do a really good job of mixing and varying tempos," Pollack insisted. "So I think that's something you can lean on that Auburn hasn't had. PaytonThorne was a good runner, but he wasn't a great runner. Jackson Arnold is a great runner, and you saw that against Alabama."

Arnold only threw the ball 11 times in Oklahoma’s convincing 24-3 win over Alabama in November. However, he ran the ball 25 times for 131 yards against the Crimson Tide. 

On the flip side, given the depth of receiving weapons like Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton, Arnold won’t have to solely rely on his legs to thrive in Freeze’s offense. 

"Here's the thing... I like this Auburn team... I do," Pollack said. "I think the offensive line is really good. I think it's deep. I think it's experienced. You talk about the best 1-2 punch at wide receiver in the country, I will take Auburn. Because I love having the variation of guys that can do different things.

“Coleman at 6-foot-4 on the outside, like I can throw him the rock. Singleton can win in here. I can put him on the same side. It's harder to double those guys because they're not the same type of wide receiver, which I think is really good."

Freeze went out and got the quarterback he wanted in the transfer portal for 2025. The ingredients are all there for a vast improvement on offense, but like most onlookers, Pollack wants to see it to believe it.