CBS Sports ‘positive’ earlier QB Jackson Arnold ready to take the plunge

QB Jackson Arnold fills big shoes as he takes the reins of the Oklahoma offense in place of Dillon Gabriel this season.

Gabriel led the Big 12 last season in passing efficiency and passing touchdowns and had been a fixture at quarterback for the Sooners the past two seasons. But he’s no longer at OU, having transferred to Oregon after last season.

Some Sooner fans may have had mixed feelings about transferring Gabriel when he could have returned for one more year, but to Gabriel’s credit, it was pretty certain that if he had surprised the fans and experts on returning to Oklahoma, Arnold himself would have opted for the transfer portal.

The immediate future of Oklahoma football, which begins an entirely new era in the program’s illustrious history when the Sooners begin SEC play this fall, rests squarely on Arnold’s shoulders. Although all the hype and expectations surrounding the former five-star recruit and 2022 Gatorade National Player of the Year have been nothing but glowing, his college career to date consists of appearances in seven games and one only start (the Sooners’ final season Alamo Bowl game against Florida State).

CBS Sports writer Clint Brewster is a college football expert who thinks Arnold is the real deal and considers the presumptive Oklahoma starter as one of three second-year quarterbacks he places in the category of “absolutely positive who will take the plunge” this coming season. .

Here’s an excerpt of what Brewster had to say about Arnold:

“Arnold was a five-star in the 2023 class, and his abilities pushed Dillon Gabriel (one of college football’s most prolific passers last season) to Oregon…Arnold started the bowl game for the Oklahoma last season, and there was definitely some growth, but there were also some magnificent plays where the (Denton) Texas native showed wonderful footwork, escaping ability. and an explosive arm.

The good news for Arnold and Sooner fans is that the OU offense is not a one-man show. The Sooners have plenty of versatility and talent at the running back position and one of the deepest and best receiving corps of any team in the country. Arnold will therefore be surrounded by a multitude of weapons and talented playmakers.

If Arnold succeeds like many believe, Oklahoma could surprise a lot of people, despite facing one of the toughest schedules in college football during the 2024 season.