Oklahoma Still 'Believes' in QB Jackson Arnold After Tough Missouri Outing

The Sooners are working to build the confidence of their young quarterback back up after he had two crucial turnovers against the Missouri Tigers.

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

NORMAN — The bye week was Oklahoma’s final chance to reset before ending the year with the gauntlet of Alabama and LSU in consecutive weeks. 

To have a chance to pull off an upset either in Norman on Saturday night or in Baton Rouge after Thanksgiving, the Sooners will need much better play from their quarterback. 

Jackson Arnold fumbled three times in OU’s loss to Missouri, losing two of them including the game-ending scoop-and-score, which was just the latest hiccup in the quarterback’s year-long turnover issues. 

And while the offense has plenty of problems across the board, from the lack of explosive plays to protection issues by the offensive line, Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC) coach Brent Venables said the process to keep Arnold confident after another batch of back-breaking turnovers is still ongoing on the practice field. 

“I think it’s gonna be the same type of experience it’s gonna be for the rest of his career and he’s no different than any other player other than he’s the face,” Venables said on Tuesday. “That goes along with that position at a place like the University of Oklahoma. That’s a position that’s a little bit … it’s a bit like the head coach position. There’s a different type of microscope and there’s a different type of focus and that’s okay he’s got broad shoulders to handle that. 

“… Improving and developing, making mistakes, learning from the good and the bad… that’s just a daily task. He’s got a huge part in that experience and the development and the improving and taking ownership. You can’t deflect it. You have to have great awareness, you have to have great self-awareness and you’ve got to have great humility and then you have to have respect for what I need to do, his part, in order to improve. And that’s not just him, that’s everybody around him.”

Reviewing the loss, Arnold took full accountability for his mistakes and got to work throughout the bye week to ensure it won’t happen again. 

"Obviously it was a heartbreaker, you never want a game to end like that,” he said on Monday. “For me in the quarterbacks room, I've got to look back at the film and watch it. I can't fumble like that, can't turn the ball over but at the same time, we've got two more games. We've got two more great teams we've got to play so we've got to put it behind us and move forward."

Arnold also said him and the entire team were happy to be able to get an extra week to prepare for the No. 7-ranked Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2), as Kalen DeBoer’s team continues to get better and better throughout the season. 

But Arnold also got another boost on Monday. 

He was named a captain by Venables and the coaching staff for the home finale, something that the OU coach said has been earned throughout Arnold’s attitude in practice all throughout the season.

“We love Jackson, and we believe in him,” Venables said. “But it's a sign of he's one of our best leaders that we have on the team. And there's plenty of guys going through, rough spots that still have the ability to lead and fight and compete. So that goes along with that position as well. But representing the offensive side of the ball, those are two of our best leaders, Troy Everett and Jackson Arnold."

That faith in the coaching staff wasn’t lost on Arnold. 

“Yeah, no, it's awesome,” he said. “Just knowing that the team and the coaches have my back and support me, it's a good feeling for sure and I'm super appreciative of those guys.”

The Sooners are fully focused on knocking off Alabama and extending the program’s 25-year bowl streak, but there will be plenty of decisions that need to be made in the coming weeks. 

Arnold committed to play for then-offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, but he stayed to take over as OU’s central piece on offense. 

The season hasn’t gone to plan, as evidenced by Seth Littrell’s dismissal, and without an offensive coordinator in place for the 2025 season, Arnold declined to shed light on what the next step is for him either way. 

“I stay in my lane, I stay focused,” Arnold said about blocking out the outside noise surrounding a potential transfer. “I have Snapchat, so I talk to my friends, talk to my family, call them and talk to my girlfriend, but other than that I don't go on any social media. 

“And regarding my future, like I just — I mean, we've got two great teams left that we gotta go against, I'm just taking it week by week.”

So regardless of what the next month brings for Arnold and Oklahoma, the Sooners are focused in getting the best out of their young quarterback over the next eight quarters. 

“It’s not him alone. It’s Coach (Kevin) Johns, it’s Coach (Joe Jon) Finley, it’s Coach (Bill) Bedenbaugh and Coach (DeMarco) Murray,” Venables said. “Making sure that their guys are prepared and detailed so that it helps him have success and stay into a rhythm — have a clean pocket and make good decisions. Everybody has a role in that and confidence as a young player is always something. 

“The confidence usually comes from the work. And then, I'm not gonna lie, the confidence takes a shot when you're not successful. And so we gotta do, all of us together, gotta do a good job of hitting it head on.”