Jackson Arnold went to Oklahoma out of high school as a five-star recruit in the Class of 2023. He’d ultimately appear in 17 games during his time at Oklahoma, including 10 starts.

The same went for former teammates, who will see Arnold make a return trip to Norman on Sept. 20. "Jackson's a great guy on and off the field," Oklahoma defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings said.

Venables went as far as shielding Arnold from the blame of an up-and-down season. “I love Jackson, love his family,” Venables said on Wednesday. “Hate what happened. We wanted to keep him.

Freeze and Auburn are banking on Arnold needing that reset. He was ultra-productive his senior season of high school, throwing for 3,383 yards and 33 touchdowns at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas.