Jackson Arnold Says South Carolina's D-Line Was His 'Welcome to the SEC' Moment

Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold said facing South Carolina's defensive line was his 'welcome to the SEC' moment.

SEC Media Days kicked off on Monday and on Tuesday, the Auburn Tigers were one of four teams in attendance. The Tigers brought in former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold from the transfer portal this offseason, and he is slated to be the starter in 2025 for them.

Despite this being his third season, last year was Arnold's first in the SEC as Oklahoma joined the conference last year. During his media availability on Tuesday, Arnold was asked if he had a 'welcome to the SEC' moment, and he went on to tell a story about the South Carolina Gamecocks.

“I mean, shoot, I remember walking out against South Carolina,” Arnold said. “I’m like, “God, dude.’ Their D-line was unbelievable last year.”

The Gamecocks went on to have three players selected off their defensive line in this year's NFL draft and another one was true freshman EDGE Dylan Stewart who is entering his second college season this year.

“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.”

The Gamecocks went on to win that football game by a final score of 35-9. Lucky for Arnold, Auburn and South Carolina will not face one another this season, so he won't have to worry about the Gamecocks making him relive any bad memories.