Former Alabama QB Rips Auburn, Hugh Freeze for Jackson Arnold NIL Deal

The Auburn Tigers reportedly splashed the cash to bring in former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold, and AJ McCarron can't believe it.

Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold has raised eyebrows with his reported NIL deal with the Auburn Tigers. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The transfer portal continues to be the gift that keeps on giving for the Auburn Tigers, and it surely has given a lot. However, it hasn't come without cost. In an email to season ticket holders, athletic director John Cohen announced that some ticket prices would be raised at Jordan-Hare stadium this year.

It's pay to play in college football, but are the Tigers getting their money's worth?

We’ve seen some big money thrown around in recent weeks to student athletes, and it’s become no secret that former collegiate athletes have chomped at the bit to express their support–or lack thereof–for players benefiting off of their name, image and likeness. 

Former Alabama QB AJ McCarron has recently joined the latter. Perhaps it's jealousy, tough love, or a mixture of the both, but the two-time BCS national championship winner joined the McCready & Sisky podcast on Tuesday and said his peace regarding Auburn’s reported NIL offering to Ex-Oklahoma Quarterback Jackson Arnold.

Arnold, a former five-star recruit out of Denton, Texas, posted 1,421 passing yards and a 12/3 touchdown/interception ratio with the Sooners in 2024. His 47.8 QBR ranked 88th amongst FBS Quarterbacks.

When discussing the NIL payouts received from collegiate quarterbacks, Tyler Sisky mentioned that the “cheapest I know got $1.3 million.”

McCarron then asked “is that Arnold?” 

Sisky replied “no, he got more than that,” triggering a rather visceral reaction from the former Tide quarterback.

“Oh God, oh (expletive),” remarked McCarron, as he fell back in his chair shaking his head. “Man, it makes me sick.”

Neal McCready then mentioned the number of Arnold’s NIL earnings landing anywhere between $2.5-3 million for a year.

This, again, provoked McCarron to dramatically respond, this time pointing the finger at Auburn’s head coach.

"This is a serious thing, what did Hugh Freeze see watching Oklahoma tape? And this is not to bash Jackson Arnold, I think he’s a great athlete, I think he’s underestimated as an athlete. To play the quarterback position, the last time I checked you got to be able to throw the damn football. I didn’t see that all year," McCarron expressed. "When did he ever throw it and win?”

McCarron turned the corner towards Auburn’s finances, never letting off the pedal and even suggesting they could have picked up Quinn Ewers along the way.

“Auburn’s got money… go pry Quinn Ewers! Go tamper that way!”

McCarron is not the first to raise his pitchfork in doubt at Arnold’s arrival in east Alabama–Paul Finebaum went on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning podcast, stating he doesn’t think Arnold’s five-star stamp is “living up to the hype” as Auburn’s highest-rated QB prospect.

Credit where it’s due, it comes as a surprise to no one that the aforementioned Freeze and the Tigers are filling a glaring need under center with Arnold. All anyone had to do was watch the quarterback play at Auburn last year, and it's no surprise Auburn was bringing zero scholarship quarterbacks from the 2024 campaign.

Freeze seems to understand the assignment in front of him, bringing former Stanford Quarterback Ashton Daniels into the fray days after the Tigers secured Arnold’s signature. 

Daniels, who threw for 1,700 yards with a paydirt/interception ratio of 10/12 for the Cardinal in 2024, will provide at least a sliver of experienced competition behind Arnold, as the two look to produce breakout seasons.

The recipe for success is now starting to lay out for the Tigers and the offensively-minded Freeze. Will they be able to silence the criticism and animosity projected at their football team? Can Freeze and quarterback coach Kent Austin guide Arnold and Daniels, a talented, yet raw duo to success in the brutal SEC West division? 

Time will tell, but the quarterback position is going to have to play drastically better next season if they wish to achieve anything close to success next fall.