The question of how Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold would be welcomed in his return to Oklahoma was immediately answered.
Arnold spent two years with the Sooners before transferring to Auburn this offseason. On Saturday, he returned to his old stomping grounds for a top-25 SEC matchup between OU and Auburn at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Jackson Arnold returns to hostile crowd in Norman
The OU student section booed Arnold when he first stepped onto Owen Field, this time as an enemy wearing different colors. Fans also started a "Jackson Arnold sucks" chant as Arnold started to warm up. Boos and the chant can be clearly heard in a video OU Daily posted on X.
Auburn quarterback arrives to boos, "Jackson Arnold sucks" chant in #Sooners student section. pic.twitter.com/MLUW2DDKbS
— OU Daily Sports (@OUDailySports) September 20, 2025
Former #Sooners QB Jackson Arnold takes the field in Norman and is greeted by boo’s from the student section pic.twitter.com/UQH5sn5BRM
— Holden Krusemark (@HoldenKrusemark) September 20, 2025
If there was any question if Arnold even heard the jeers with earbuds in, Carson Field of Sooners on SI posted that Arnold pointed to his ear during the boos and chants.
Auburn QB and former Sooner Jackson Arnold has made it onto Owen Field.
— Carson Field (@CarsonDField) September 20, 2025
He was greeted by boos from #Sooners fans. Arnold pointed to his ear as he took in the boos.@SoonersOnSI pic.twitter.com/ak6qu8vnGH
The chants eventually escalated, and you can probably guess what explicit was used.
Memorial Stadium was still rather empty at this point, but even if Sooner Nation is split about their feelings toward Arnold, the boos will be even louder when the stadium is filled by a sellout crowd. Some could even cheer out of respect for Arnold's time as a Sooner, but his first entrance didn't foreshadow a warm welcoming.
Arnold signed with the Sooners in 2023 as a five-star recruit. He then took over as QB1 last season, but was benched four games in before eventually getting the job back during an overall lackluster season.
The Sooners were horrible offensively last year, but not all the blame could be put on Arnold. OU fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell halfway through the season and dealt with multiple injuries along the offensive line and at wide receiver.
OU head coach Brent Venables hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to replace Littrell in December, and just two days later, Arnold was in the Transfer Portal before ultimately choosing Auburn. Venables said at SEC Media Days this summer that the Sooners actually tried to keep Arnold in Norman.
Washington State quarterback John Mateer ultimately followed his OC to OU and has since emerged as an early frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.
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