Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has officially named Jackson Arnold as the Tigers’ starting quarterback. When asked by Mike Gittens of the War Rapport about the decision, Freeze was direct and decisive: “Yeah, he is.”
What followed, though, gave insight into the broader quarterback plans shared by Freeze, offensive coordinator Derrick Nix, and quarterbacks coach Kent Austin.
“Deuce Knight is going to be phenomenal,” Freeze said. “He had a great spring. It was a joy to work with him. He’s one of the more accountable freshmen I’ve been around—no excuses, eager to learn, wants to be coached, and he’s got a big-time arm and talent.”
Freeze also spoke extensively about Arnold’s potential, particularly considering the challenging offensive environment he came from at Oklahoma under Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley. His comments not only cement Arnold as QB1 but also effectively ruled out another transfer from seeing significant playing time in 2025.
Deuce Knight, not Ashton Daniels, will be Jackson Arnold’s primary backup QB for Auburn
Ashton Daniels, the Stanford transfer, is expected to remain on the sidelines this fall unless injuries or unexpected setbacks affect both Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight.
That scenario seems unlikely. Both quarterbacks have shown strong preparation in recent months, even with Arnold missing A-Day due to a leg injury suffered in spring practice. While an injury to one is always possible, the odds of both being unavailable would be an unfortunate anomaly.
Daniels still has one year of eligibility remaining, along with a redshirt option. Given the current situation, it’s becoming increasingly plausible that he redshirts this season and looks to finish his college career at a different program in 2026. However, with the transfer portal window now closed as of April 25, Daniels would not be eligible to move to another SEC school under current rules.