When discussing Auburn’s quarterback battle at the Regions Tradition celebrity pro-am, Hugh Freeze left no room for doubt.
The Oklahoma transfer who joined Auburn in January was named the starting quarterback by Freeze, who declared, “Jackson is our No. 1.”
It is also not surprising that the head coach made such statement.
Jackson Arnold was one of the Tigers’ primary targets in the transfer portal this summer and started the spring practice as the starting quarterback for Auburn. Arnold was not the only quarterback Auburn signed after the 2024 season concluded, despite being the most well-known.
The Tigers restocked their quarterback room after losing all four of their scholarship players from the previous year when they acquired Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels and five-star freshman Deuce Knight.
Additionally, retooling isn’t always a terrible thing. At best, Auburn’s quarterback performance has been patchy ever since Freeze joined the team before the 2023 campaign. Both years, Payton Thorne was the main starter, but neither he nor the backups who took his place were able to perform well enough for Auburn to win a few tight games.
Freeze wants to see the Knight and Daniels battle Arnold, even if he is certain that he will start for Auburn for the time being.
“Do I want Jackson to have that swagger and confidence and feel like it’s his? Indeed. Do I want him to think, “Dang Deuce and Ashton had two really good practices today,” as he peers over his shoulder? Indeed. “I’d like both,” Freeze said.
Daniels, who played in the PAC 12 and ACC at Stanford, brings two years of Power Four starting experience to Auburn. His stats aren’t particularly impressive—he threw for 3,947 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions during those two seasons—but he offers Auburn another talented and adaptable option.
Although Knight is a pure freshman with no prior college experience, the faculty appears to believe he has a lot of potential. With Daniels not yet on campus, he got a lot of reps during spring practice, and Freeze and the other coaches gave him generally positive evaluations.
Both athletes have a strong case heading into fall camp, but Freeze has not officially stated who is Arnold’s number two pick. Given that Knight has previously practiced with the squad, he could have the advantage for the time being, putting Daniels just a little bit behind him.
Regarding the team as a whole, Freeze stated that Auburn boasts one of the SEC’s top quarterback rooms. Few other SEC teams have the benefit of having two quarterbacks with starting experience. Even if the competition is determined for the time being, Freeze expects it can be advantageous to the group.
