Hugh Freeze Helping Auburn QB Jackson Arnold Prepare for Return to No. 11 Oklahoma

As Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold makes his well-anticipated return to Norman, Okla., on Saturday, head coach Hugh Freeze has been serving not only as a coach to him this week, but also as a mentor. 

Everything happens for a reason, and for Arnold, what happened was transferring to Auburn. The reason was that Freeze offered him a place to prove himself. 

And, after three weeks, it’s safe to say he’s been fitting right in as the Tigers’ starting quarterback.  

Yet, heading back to the place where his collegiate career started and where he faced adversity, emotions could run high. On Monday, Freeze shared he’s been having conversations with Arnold this week, drawing on his own experience of being in similar situations as a coach. 

He also believes no matter what Sooner fans bring on Saturday, he’s confident in his quarterback’s tough mentality. 

“The good thing is that I’ve had personal experience with that,” Freeze said. “I’ve had to go back in a place that I enjoyed coaching. Won some games. Had to go back in there and take another team in and play. That whole week, it was a challenge for me not to think about some of that.

“I know the same will be true for Jackson (Arnold). He’s very mature, and he doesn’t give any credit to any noise or talk. He’s a pro. We all understand people might cheer for him, boo him, whatever it is. I think he’s mentally strong and is more about preparing.” 

Freeze has Arnold thinking about preparing the offense, not just preparing himself for his return trip to Norman. 

“My advice to him is to just keep the focus on our team. That was my advice to myself. It’s not about you,” Freeze said. “It’s not about me. It’s about our team preparing to go in to play. I don’t know what they’re ranked now, but I think they’re a top 10 team (No. 11). So that’s where the focus needs to be, and all the rest will subside at some point.

“It will be about what you do on the field. So that’s my advice to him. Same thing I told myself going back into Ole Miss when I was at Liberty,” said Freeze.

Freeze also shared that Saturday will mark his first time in Owen Field, feeling certain it will feel like an SEC environment: chaotic.

Arnold’s been giving him specific insight on how that stadium exactly feels, like how tight those benches are. 

“We talked about the stadium atmosphere and things of that nature because I’ve never been there. And I assume that it’s going to be like an SEC stadium, and he confirmed that, and how tight the benches are, he says. I don’t know a lot about that, but apparently, it’s really, really tight.

“But as far as schematics, we’re going with what our breakdowns say and what we see on tape from this year, and get a game plan that we hope gives him a chance to have success. But we really haven’t talked about anything else other than that.”

Saturday poses a true test for the Auburn Tiger team on all fronts. They’re 3-0 but underdogs on the road against a resurgent Sooners’ squad that also struggled last season. 

It serves both as a game of intel for what the rest of the season may look like with SEC play, along with the chance for Arnold to prove his dual-threat ability against his old teammates.

Auburn and Oklahoma faceoff at 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC.

And the countdown begins now.