Is This Jackson Arnold's Last Game with the Auburn Tigers?

Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold is expected to play in some capacity against Mercer, but his future beyond Saturday remains a big question mark.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold is expected to play in some capacity against Mercer, but his future beyond Saturday remains a big question mark. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Deuce Knight will start, quarterback Jackson Arnold is expected to play on Saturday against Mercer in what could be his final game for the Auburn Tigers.

With a new coach coming in, Ashton Daniels clinching a redshirt for next season and Deuce Knight considered the future of the program, Arnold's time with the program could soon be over.

Yet, the issues of how the junior arrived at this point outline a deeper issue within the football program. Luckily for Auburn, the issue was handled when they fired Hugh Freeze. Yet, for Arnold, 2025 amounts to a wasted year on the field.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold could play his last game with the program against Mercer. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In all honesty, Freeze cost the program and its athletes a year of their eligibility by an underwhelming coaching approach that lost games. Arnold may get to leave Jordan-Hare Stadium a winner on Saturday, but the season did not go as planned.

Early Hope

When the Tigers ventured out to Waco to play Baylor, you could sense a palpable hope and excitement around the season. After years of suffering through disappointing football, the Tigers were going to make noise.

Arnold and the Tigers handled Baylor and gained momentum heading into SEC play. With visions of an upper-echelon bowl game in their sights, Aniold played flawless football to start the season. However, the same head coach who seemingly called the right plays against lesser teams would struggle on a national stage.

Sooner or Later

First, the officials in the Oklahoma game did the Tigers no favors with two blown calls that affected the game's outcome. Those were beyond the control of Arnold and Freeze. Yet, what was in their purview was the attempt to slow a pass rush that made a vacation home in the backfield, dropping Arnold to the turf ten times.

THE CLOSER ❌ pic.twitter.com/52CEKm6NF3

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 20, 2025

Could Arnold have scanned through his progressions sooner? Yes, that would have stopped a couple of them. Yet, the lion's share of the fault resides with the offensive brain trust. By shortening route combinations to exclude deeper, slower-developing patterns, it could keep Oklahoma at bay.

In his defense, Arnold executed the game plan as called, with no deviation. He did not change plays and ran what his coaches told him. Essentially, Freeze and his company set him up for failure, and no one could do anything to stop it.

Coaching Malpractice

With a 10-0 lead and about score again against Georgia, the officiating struck Arnold again. Everyone remembers the uncalled touchdown. Yet, that tells half of the story. Where were the coaching adjustments that could've stopped Georgia, or at least slowed them down?

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze was criticized heavily for his development of quarterback Jackson Arnold. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With no pass rush and ample time, Auburn should have moved the ball better, but they didn't. The offense looked timid and retreated into a shell.

At first, it looked like Arnold was the issue. Yet, in retrospect, Freeze and his playcalling committee don't know how to stop the opposing team's momentum, allowing the emotion of the moment to take over. Georgia won the game, but no one with a scintilla of gray matter will tell you that they were the better team that night.

"We're Close"

As the waning days of the Freeze regime wore on, he seemed hell-bent on saving his job, rather than correcting the problems he had created. As a result, Arnold took the slings and arrows for a coach who lost his grip on the team. When athletic director John Cohen made the coaching change, it was too late for Arnold.

He was benched, re-inserted into the lineup, and summarily benched again. Few can withstand that level of confidence-sapping. The Auburn team that could not get out of its own way offensively rolled up 563 yards on Vanderbilt in an overtime loss. Players after the game remarked how that is how the offense looked in practice, which is an indictment of the former head coach.

The Future

Auburn will hire a new head coach. Chances remain high that he will bring in his own quarterback if he doesn't stick with either Daniels or Knight. Arnold more than likely will see time in his final game on the Plains this weekend.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Deuce Knight will start over Jackson Arnold against Mercer. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Mercer is not a pushover, it is a rather ignominious ending to a season that started positively for the transfer. The Tigers will likely maul the Bears, giving the faithful a win as the Iron Bowl approaches.

Presumably, Arnold will end up throwing the ball somewhere else next season. The power of a coach to build and create a strong program is only matched by their ability to destroy one with decision-making.