Former Auburn QB Jackson Arnold Inks Deal with Mountain West School

Former Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold is off to his next school as the Tigers reset the quarterback room.

Former Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold is off to his next school as the Tigers reset the quarterback room. | John Reed-Imagn Images

Former Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold has found a new home for his final year of eligibility. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, he has signed with the UNLV Rebels. UNLV will be the third and final college of his career after he previously at Oklahoma before heading to Auburn.

BREAKING: Auburn transfer QB Jackson Arnold has signed with UNLV, @PeteNakos reports🎰https://t.co/6j5gSFTx1L https://t.co/WAEsbLiA6T pic.twitter.com/Ifdeam2Rwo

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 7, 2026

Arnold started his season as the starter for the Tigers, putting together a standout game in the Baylor matchup. Against the Bears, Arnold passed for 108 yards while rushing for over 160 yards and two touchdowns.

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From there, things deteriorated for Arnold significantly, particularly in the matchup against his former team, the Oklahoma Sooners, in which he was sacked nine times. These issues persisted throughout the year until he was eventually benched in favor of Ashton Daniels, who has since transferred to Florida State.

In his shortened year with the Tigers, Arnold managed to put together 1,309 passing yards and six touchdowns with only two interceptions, though he was sacked a whopping 30 times. Arnold also rushed for just over 300 yards and eight touchdowns.

Arnold will likely be the starter in Sin City, given his experience and veteran status, and he’ll look to make something out of an admittedly disappointing college career. 

For the Tigers, the loss of Arnold suddenly doesn’t seem to carry much weight, as Alex Golesh has signed his standout quarterback from USF, a dual-threat machine in Byrum Brown. Brown put up over 3,000 passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards in 2025, which he complemented with 28 passing touchdowns and 14 rushing touchdowns.

Brown’s already garnered comparisons to Auburn legend Cam Newton, so there’ll be big expectations for both him and Golesh as the season winds up in a few months. For now, Jackson Arnold will have to be content with watching his former Tiger team from Las Vegas.