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Jackson Arnold plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens later this month, according to a report.
That news was shared by 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Wednesday afternoon. The decision comes after an up-and-down season that saw Arnold be benched midway through the year before eventually re-gaining the starting job.
Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold is expected to enter the transfer portal, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.
The Class of 2023 top-10 overall recruit made nine starts this year. Posted 12 TD passes, 444 rushing yards, three rushing TDs and just three interceptions.… pic.twitter.com/jE6J3LtlLL
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 4, 2024
Oklahoma narrowly reached bowl eligibility this season thanks to a big upset win over Alabama in Week 13. The Sooners’ offense struggled all season, and Arnold played a part in the unit’s shortcomings. He finished last amongst qualified SEC quarterbacks in yards per attempt this season.
Arnold was a 5-star prospect in the class of 2023 and has long been thought of as OU’s quarterback of the future. However, Oklahoma will now look elsewhere to find a longterm answer at quarterback.
One potential option may already be on the roster. Michael Hawkins started a couple of games for the Sooners this season as a true freshman. Hawkins showed promise at times, but was benched following a flurry of turnovers in OU’s loss to South Carolina. He never re-gained the starting role.
Another possible option is Washington State quarterback John Mateer, should he decide to enter the transfer portal. Mateer put up big numbers this season for Ben Arbuckle, who was hired as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator earlier this week.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
