Hugh Freeze blamed Jackson Arnold's situation at OU, then created a worse one at Auburn

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze acted as if he was Jackson Arnold's knight in shining armor who saved the quarterback in distress from a crumbling kingdom in Oklahoma, but he actually just locked Arnold away in a tower with no way out to success.

During SEC Media Days this summer, Freeze and even OU head coach Brent Venables blamed Arnold's poor situation with the Sooners last season for his struggles in his first year as a starter. Even though Freeze pretended then to know exactly what Arnold needed to turn his career around, Freeze has actually just created an even worse environment for Arnold by his own doing.

Freeze has Arnold in multi-QB system with multiple play-callers

Freeze recently laid out Auburn's chaotic offensive plan that includes three different play-callers depending on what down it is. That means at least three different coaches in Arnold's ear between plays and possessions telling him what to do and asking what went wrong.

Then, to add to the mess, Freeze mentioned Auburn could play all three quarterbacks in its season opener against Baylor. Arnold is still expected to be QB1 after transferring this offseason, with the other two QBs supposedly just bringing different elements to the offense like the two extra play-callers are.

However, video from fall camp has already proven Freeze isn't exactly satisfied with Arnold as QB1. Freeze was seen throwing his visor down in frustration because of Arnold, and then when he was asked about it after practice, Freeze still didn't sound confident in his new QB.

Freeze echoed during SEC Media Days that Arnold just needed his confidence back after a disastrous 2024 season, but Freeze already has Arnold in a QB carousel and has publicly ridiculed him before the season even kicked off. Arnold already lost his job once before at OU last year, so that will forever be in the back of his mind as he tries to prove himself again.

To help with Arnold's confidence level, Freeze publicly admitted that he had the defense go easy on Arnold during spring practices. To do it is one thing, but to state it to the world for Arnold to surely hear is another. That forced Arnold to question any success he had like a child who played a parent in a board game.

There's no denying Arnold was not set up for success at OU. The offensive coordinator who recruited him immediately left, then the next one was fired midway through Arnold's first season as the starter. There were also matters Venables couldn't fully prevent, like myriad injuries that left Arnold with terrible pass blocking and no weapons at receiver.

Venables took accountability for Arnold's shortcomings at OU, though, and Freeze was quick to blame the Sooners. Venables knew he didn't have the answers last year, while Freeze acted as if he had the instruction manual to Jackson Arnold.

Poor Jackson Arnold, though, is again stuck in a terrible situation, but this time it was all created by his new head coach.

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