Jackson Arnold Revealed The Blunt Message He Had for Hugh Freeze

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 11:58 PM ET

The Auburn Tigers have not had a winning season since 2020 under former head coach Gus Malzahn.

Auburn took one step towards breaking that streak on Friday, after beating the Baylor Bears 38-24.

Jackson Arnold had his debut for the Tigers and showed up in a big way, finishing the night with 108 passing yards, 137 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

The Oklahoma Sooners transfer continued to make the right reads while running the football, creating multiple opportunities for the Tigers' offense.

After the game, Arnold shared what he told head coach Hugh Freeze in the huddle, simply telling the head coach to keep feeding him the ball.

"Coach Freeze, he was asking what plays we wanted, and I told him, 'Just give me the ball, let's run it.'" Arnold said.

It was evident that Arnold's words stuck with Freeze, and it paid off for the Tigers. As a team, Auburn rushed for 307 yards and four touchdowns. Other key contributors in the running game included Damari Alston (87), Jeremiah Cobb (74), Eric Singleton Jr. (10) and Durrell Robinson (3).

It was no surprise that Arnold's first touchdown in an Auburn uniform was on the ground.. He scored on a 24-yard scamper on the team's second drive of the game.

For last season's starting quarterback, Payton Thorne, things have not gone as well. Thorne was waived by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday after going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.

It is early in Arnold's Auburn career, but things are off to a great start.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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