Jackson Arnold’s time in college has been a disappointment; there’s no questioning that. The former Auburn Tigers quarterback struggled this year and finds himself looking for a new home. So where will he land?
West Virginia
When reports came out that Arnold intended to enter the portal, my first thought was Rich Rodriguez. He’s not the best passer, but his legs are an asset to any offense. We saw his abilities on full display in the first game against Baylor this year, but after that, there weren’t many other times we saw it.
Arnold’s going to Morgantown gives the Mountaineers a big name that Rodriguez can develop. He won’t need to be the most prolific passer, but any improvements in that department make this team more dangerous offensively.
UNLV
Dan Mullen appears to be sticking around at UNLV, and he’s already shown that he will add former Power Four talent. Arnold has spent time at Auburn and Oklahoma, so jumping down to the Group of Five might be the move he needs.
Mullen’s done great work with Anthony Colandrea, and his dual-threat abilities are a huge reason why the Rebels won 10 games in the regular season. If there’s someone who can extract the potential out of Arnold, it’s Mullen.
Mississippi State
Jeff Lebby knows Arnold very well, and he might be looking for another quarterback to enter the fold for his offense. While freshman Kamario Taylor is set to return, the Bulldogs won’t be opposed to adding competition to help their young quarterback develop.
Arnold and Lebby connected as recruits, so maybe they can reunite if Arnold’s hoping to stick within the SEC. He’ll have to convince any staff in the conference that he can be an asset, which might keep this from coming to fruition.
Oklahoma State
Arnold’s a Denton, Texas native, so the staff at North Texas knew about him very well. The problem was that the former five-star wasn’t going to stay at home. With Eric Morris and others heading to Oklahoma State, Arnold could make up for it by reuniting with this staff.
The Cowboys need everything they can get to improve, and getting a quarterback like Arnold with experience could help. Again, he’s had his struggles, but he’d be an interesting fit with the Cowboys and Morris.
Old Dominion
Assuming that Ricky Rahne stays at Old Dominion, he’ll need a new starting quarterback. Monarchs star Colton Joseph is looking for a new home after a big year, and someone needs to take his spot.
Rahne’s done a great job of developing his talent. His staff continues to use the transfer portal to improve the roster, and getting Arnold could be a huge win. It feels like the Group of Five is Arnold’s best option, but that doesn’t mean a downgrade in terms of his opportunities to succeed.
