Auburn Tigers Laughed at by Former Alabama QB for Jackson Arnold NIL Deal

The Auburn Tigers gave Jackson Arnold a big NIL deal to commit there and a former Alabama Crimson Tide star took exception to it.

Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) passes against the LSU Tigers during the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers recently got the funds together for one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal, but not everyone seems to think they are getting their money's worth.

Former college football stars talking about the new world of NIL is nothing new, but one particular former national champion has taken exception to the recent deal that Jackson Arnold received from the Tigers.

Arnold was benched a couple of times while playing for the Oklahoma Sooners last season, but that didn't stop him from getting a new deal allegedly worth $1.5 million to go to Auburn.

During an appearance on the McCready & Siskey podcast, former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron laughed at the decision.

"Oh god, oh [expletive]," said a shocked McCarron when learning about how much he is getting. "What did what did Hugh Freeze see watching Oklahoma tape?"

During his two seasons, Arnold. posted a 62.9% completion rate with 1,421 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He did also make some plays happen on the ground with 181 carries for 560 yards and four additional scores.

McCarron continued his thoughts about Arnold shortly after.

"And this is not to bash 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. When did he ever throw it and win?"

The Crimson Tide passer didn't play in the NIL era, but he surely would have brought in a lot of money.

He started at Alabama for three years and amassed a 66.9% completion rate with 9,019 yards with 77 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. More importantly, he was a part of three championship teams.

McCarron only started for two of them, but that certainly would have led to a lot of money going his way. As the multi-year starter for the biggest team in the country at the time, he would have had the pick of the litter for deals.

Arnold got that $1.5 million deal despite not even starting every game this year and only getting a few spot starts.

He was taken out of the game multiple times this year for Sooners freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.

Arnold's struggles are the main reason that he entered the portal. If he were to have lived up to expectations, it is hard to imagine him leave Oklahoma for another SEC school.

Granted, the expectations were high for him out of high school. He was the fourth-ranked quarterback in the nation and 10th overall player.

He was a four star player as a transfer, which is the highest rating someone in the portal could get. This time, though, he was just the No. 8 overall quarterback.

Taking someone with a rocky start to their college career can be risky, but perhaps Freeze and the Tigers staff believe they can get something extra out of him.