Auburn vs. Arkansas Stock Report, Who's Up? Who's Down?

The Auburn Tigers secured their first SEC win of the season on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks, 33-24. After enduring a four-game skid, Auburn finally found enough in the tank to pull out a victory. Once again, the game saw some good and some bad from the Tigers.

Here is this week’s Auburn Tigers stock report.

Stock Up

Alex McPherson

Coming off the back of a rough game against Missouri, where he was just 1/4 on field goals, the Auburn kicker had a much-needed bounce-back performance in Fayetteville. McPherson drilled all six of his field goal attempts, including a 47-yard make that was his longest make since returning from illness. He also added an extra point, leading the Tigers in scoring with 19 points on the day.

If McPherson is able to keep this form, the kicking game could go from an Achilles heel for Auburn to a strength like it was in McPherson’s outstanding freshman season. In a year where the Tigers seem to be in one-possession games every week, having a reliable kicker could be key to future success.

Rayshawn Pleasant

The Tulane transfer had his best game of the season by far, intercepting Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green twice in the fourth quarter. Pleasant returned the first interception for a touchdown, getting in the end zone for the second time this season and the first on defense.

What. A. Play. @RayshawnPleasa1 🔥

📺: @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/onY1zAc6ne
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) October 25, 2025

Pleasant also had a 49-yard kick return on the day, bringing his all-purpose yardage total to 145, just five yards shy of Auburn’s total passing output on the day. Pleasant has been waiting for his first interception of 2025, and finally broke out in a big way against one of the SEC’s better quarterbacks in Taylen Green.

Ashton Daniels

The Stanford Transfer took over for Jackson Arnold at quarterback after Arnold’s 89-yard pick-six to Kani Walker near the end of the first half and played well enough under center. Though Daniels only threw for 77 yards and didn’t throw a touchdown, the senior played smart and did not turn the football over.

Auburn outscored the Razorbacks 23-3 after the change was made at quarterback.

It isn’t clear yet who will be starting for Auburn next week against Kentucky, but it's worth noting that the Auburn offense seemed a bit more controlled with him at the helm. The Tigers did have fewer yards in the second half than in the first, but that was partly due to a barrage of Arkansas turnovers in the fourth quarter. Overall, Daniels put in a good performance when given a chance, and you can’t ask for much more than that from a backup quarterback.

Stock Down

Jackson Arnold

Stock for a quarterback doesn’t get much lower than being benched, and that is the fate Arnold suffered against the Razorbacks. After leading an early touchdown drive that ended in a 23-yard passing touchdown, it looked like Arnold could be in for a good day. However, he threw for just 36 yards and an interception from that point on, and would be pulled after throwing an 89-yard pick-six before the end of the first half.

Though head coach Hugh Freeze clearly likes Arnold and wants things to work out for the Oklahoma transfer, Freeze also knows he is coaching for his job and needs to put the best players on the field that give the Tigers the best chance to win. And, after the last few games, it’s hard to confidently say that Arnold is Auburn’s best option.

The Passing Offense

Though the offense looks a bit more secure with Daniels in, the passing game still could not get going for most of the game. Auburn only racked up 150 passing yards, a measly number against an Arkansas defense that gave up 255 yards per game through the air entering the day.

The defense may have done enough to secure the win for the Tigers, but that level of offense just won’t be enough to beat either Vandy or Alabama later in the season. Auburn needs to try to find something against Kentucky, because it’s clear the Tigers have talented receivers. Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton each made one outrageous catch on the day, but sadly, the Auburn quarterbacks haven’t been good enough to let them work consistently.

Stock Hold

Hugh Freeze

Auburn’s head coach entered Saturday feeling like he was coaching for his job, and it showed in the decision to finally make a change at quarterback after a month of struggles from Arnold. However, Freeze is not out of the woods yet. Though the Tigers got the win, Auburn is still just 1-4 in SEC play this season, with games against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Alabama still to play.

If Auburn were to beat Kentucky (and Mercer) and lose to the other two as expected, the Tigers would finish 6-6 and 2-6 in the SEC. Given that Freeze spent most of SEC Media Days talking about how this team should have College Football Playoff expectations, I doubt that would be good enough for him to keep his job.

If he can upset either Vanderbilt or Alabama, while taking care of business against Kentucky and Mercer, a bowl win would put the Tigers at 8-5. Freeze might be safe with eight wins.

So, though Freeze’s stock didn’t fall further against the Razorbacks, I also can’t confidently say it rose with a difficult road still ahead.