It's the unknown about Jackson Arnold's SEC readiness that has experts wary about OU

Jackson Arnold was the top recruit in Oklahoma's 2023 class, a top-four quarterback nationally and the No. 10 player overall in the class. The former National Gatorade Player of the Year came to the Sooners with a five-star rating and extremely high expectations.

The Denton, Texas, native played sparingly as a backup to Dillon Gabriel his freshman season, typically in mop-up roles in games that were long decided. Arnold did earn the start, however, in the Sooners' postseason Alamo Bowl appearance. And although it was a good performance for a first-time starter, Arnold committed four turnovers, which unfortunately overshadowed his 361 passing yards and two touchdown throws.

Head coach Brent Venables and Arnold himself will tell you that was seven months ago and much has changed since that mixed performance in the Alamo Bowl. It's not a secret that much is riding on Arnold's quarterback performance as Oklahoma embarks on its inaugural season in the SEC.

Arnold is well aware of the expectations and the pressure of knowing the Sooners' recent history of quarterback excellence, which over the last two decades has produced four Heisman Trophy winners (five if you include Caleb Williams who started at Oklahoma but finished his career at USC) and two Heisman runners-up.

"There's a lot of pressure that comes with this position for sure," Arnold told reporters during SEC Media Days in Dallas earlier this month. "At the end of the day, I just gotta go out and perform to the best of my abilities and hope I live up to that lineage."

Arnold was asked what has changed since the Alamo Bowl game in December. "A lot different," he said. "I had a whole spring ball. A whole summer to learn from that game and really apply the things I learned into that offseason into spring ball.

"Whether it's timing, decisions, footwork, all of the above, I think I'm dramatically improved as a player."

Because there really isn't a lot of a college track record to project how Arnold will perform in a conference in which he will be going up with teams much like what he faced in Arizona practically every week of the season, that unknown is one of the reasons Oklahoma is uncharacteristically projected to finish eighth in the SEC standings this season.

Arnold definitely has the physical tools -- arm strength, accuracy, mobility and toughness -- to perform at an elite level in the SEC or any conference, for that matter. He also will be surrounded by a deep arsenal of ground and aerial weapons.

The one big concern offensively is the offensive line, the group charged with protecting Arnold and opening lanes for the Sooner running backs. OU lost all five O-line starters from a year ago. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, one of the best in the business, believes bringing in some veteran experience through the transfer portal combined with some blue-chip recruits he's been developing the past couple of years, OU should be fine upfront when it has the ball.

Venables has all the confidence in the world in Arnold's ability to silence the critics and those who doubt his ability to live up to expectations.

"What I feel best about and have the most piece about is his ability to be able to handle the highs and the lows, the challenges, the success, the failure that a season will bring you."

- Brent Venables

"Nobody is more competent or more ready," Venables said during SEC Media Days, "even though he's a young player and we gotta, in some ways, be the headlights for him. That's why they call us coach."