Nation's Former No. 1 QB Recruit Benched by Second Major College Football Program

When Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers brought in Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, it was viewed as a potential chance for redemption for all involved. Auburn was hoping to end its streak of four straight losing seasons, while Arnold had a chance to prove that Oklahoma made a mistake by benching him at one point last season.

Once ranked as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the class of 2023 by ESPN, Arnold and the Tigers started the season off 3-0 and even climbed as high as No. 22 in the AP Poll. However, the Tigers went on to lose four straight before ending their losing streak this past weekend against Arkansas.

Despite throwing for 1,263 yards and six touchdowns to just two interceptions on the season, Freeze decided to yank Arnold following an 89-yard pick-six with under a minute remaining in the first half.

Although most fans were hoping the team would turn to five-star freshman Deuce Knight, Freeze opted to plug in Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels. While Daniels didn't necessarily dazzle, he did finish the game having completed 6-of-8 passes for 77 yards, while rushing for another 35, a performance that has earned him an expanded role.