How Oklahoma Has Helped Out Its Young Starting QB, Jackson Arnold

Arnold, a sophomore, will enter the season as the Sooners' QB1 having thrown a pass in only four games with one start.

Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

During a time in college football when some programs have seven-year veterans at quarterback, the Sooners will be led by a sophomore with one full game of experience. 

Jackson Arnold will be QB1 for Oklahoma this upcoming season. He started OU’s bowl game against Arizona and threw a pass in just four games last season, completing 44-of-69 with four touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions — all of which came in that lone start against Arizona. 

And as he endures his own learning experiences of playing through a full Division I football schedule for the first time, Arnold will also guide the program into its own unknown, as OU enters its first season in the SEC. 

“After that Arizona game, there was a lot of maturing and a lot of growing up that I had to do," Arnold said at SEC Media Days. "Stepping into that QB1 role, I had to be a real leader for us, for our team, and just stepping into that role, I know I need to mature as a person, as a player too. And the person that I am now and the player that I am now has improved drastically from where I was in that bowl game.” 

Although Arnold will eventually learn from experience throughout OU’s season, his teammates are trying to prepare their young quarterback before the Sooners even take the field in their season opener against Temple on Friday, Aug. 30. Help for the rookie quarterback has come through advice from those who already have that experience Arnold will soon gain, or as simple as trying to make sure Arnold has as much time as possible to make decisions from the pocket. 

“He's a dude,” tight end Jake Roberts said. “He can sling it, for sure. It's been great working with him. Being a younger guy, too, I feel like I'm able to help him with some of the experience side of things, playing a lot of football. He's got the talent, obviously, and I just try to help him out when I can, but he's great. It's been great working with him.”

This offseason, Roberts transferred to OU with exposure to 49 games in four seasons with now three different programs after joining the Sooners. More over, he started his career at North Texas, where he played under OU offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, who was the Mean Green’s head coach at the time. 

Roberts played under Littrell for three seasons, then left for Baylor when Littrell was fired and went to OU as an offensive analyst. Roberts started 22 games for Littrell after immediately seeing the field as a freshman in 2020, a year in which Arnold was still a sophomore backup down the road at Guyer High School in Denton, TX. 

“That experience, you can tell Jake’s played ball,” Arnold said. “Alongside that, he’s played with Coach Littrell, too. He knows how Coach Littrell operates, what he wants in the offense. So going out and running it and executing those plays that he’s known how to do has been big for us. And even teaching those young guys how those plays are supposed to be run.” 

Like Roberts, offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu also eventually followed Littrell from Denton to Norman. Nwaiwu was at UNT for three years before transferring this past offseason. He played for Littrell two of those seasons, however, he redshirted his first year on campus in 2021. Once he got on the field as a redshirt freshman, Nwaiwu was named a second-team Freshman All-American by The Athletic and third-team Freshman All-American by College Football News after starting 12 of 14 games. His production dipped last season with Littrell gone, starting seven games and missing two because of injury. 

“We want all of our quarterbacks to feel like they’ve got all the time in the world, especially Jackson,” Nwaiwu said. “We want him to be back there and be able to set the ball down and take a drink if he has to. We want him to have all of his options available, whoever he wants to throw to. Just give him enough time to punch it in there.” 

So far, Arnold has gotten by with a little help from his friends.

Already during fall camp, OU coach Brent Venables noted Arnold’s improved decision-making and running back Jovantae Barnes praised Arnold’s growth as a leader. 

"Jackson understands better than anybody what goes into being a quarterback of a football team," Venebles said, "of the locker room, the leader, the face, the responsibilities, the challenges."