Where Does The Athletic Rank Auburn QB Jackson Arnold among 136 FBS Starters

The Auburn Tigers 2025 season rests on the arm (and legs) of transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold. The former Oklahoma Sooners came to Norman as one of the most heralded recruits in the country.

However, things didn’t work out in Oklahoma for the 20-year-old signal caller, and he made his way to The Plains for a fresh start.The Athletic went through the task of ranking every starting quarterback in the FBS and placing them into seven tiers.

Arnold comes in at No. 35 and is placed in Tier 4.

“A mess of offensive problems — from the line, to the receiving corps, to the coordinator — muddied Arnold’s would-be breakout sophomore season at Oklahoma, where he was briefly benched,” Sam Khan Jr. and Antonio Morales wrote on The Athletic.

They quote a Power 4 coordinator as having said, “He was set up to fail at OU.” That echoes Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables' sentiments at SEC Media Days last week, saying in some ways “he had no chance.”

“Auburn provides a fresh start for a guy coaches are still bullish on talent-wise, but he’ll have to take better care of the ball,” The Athletic concluded.

How does The Athletic define those tiers?


Tier 1—The Elite

Tier 2—Winners, but limited

Tier 3—Solid but flawed

Tier 4—Young but Unproven

Tier 5- Inconsistent Power 4/Good Group of 5

Tier 6—Too many questions

Tier 7- Multiple transfers just looking for playing time.

Is Tier 4 and a No. 35 ranking fair for Arnold?

Well, Arnold is not elite. Not yet anyway, but considering that wide receiver room, he doesn’t have to be elite to be productive. All he has to do is make the right read and thank divine forces that he never has to play for Brent Venables again.

Likewise, he hasn't won enough to earn a Tier 2 winner label. On top of it, he's not physically limited, as he can make every throw and can run with the ball.

Tier 4 of young but unproven feels about right for Arnold at this stage of his career. Auburn isn't Norman, and he inherits a plug-and-play system that accentuates his mobility and arm strength with the ability to connect with receivers at all three levels. 

Head coach Hugh Freeze has placed his present and future on Arnold, and he’s hoping he can be the one to unleash all of the potential that went untapped at Oklahoma.

If he can, Arnold’s No. 35 ranking will seem low by season’s end.