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Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby commended Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold’s abilities as he prepares for his debut with the Tigers. Lebby gave the commendation on Wednesday at the SEC Media Days, with Arnold also in attendance.
The two have history at Oklahoma, as Lebby was the offensive coordinator and Arnold came in as a five-star quarterback recruit. After one season together, Lebby moved on to Mississippi State, while Arnold remained with the Sooners.
He entered the transfer portal in December after a rocky sophomore season where he was benched in favor of freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. However, Lebby is convinced he remains the gifted quarterback he was out of high school.
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“He had all of it, and he still does," Lebby said. "He’s the same young man. He’s my No. 1 guy coming out of the class, Gatorade Player of the Year, all that. I’m excited for him to get to be starting. Physically, a young man that had every single tool you wanted to be an elite player.”
Lebby is also in need of a turnaround after a winless first season in the Southeastern Conference. The former Oklahoma offensive coordinator finished 2024 with a 2-10 (0-8 SEC) record.
Jackson Arnold's reflections at the SEC Media Days
Jackson Arnold believes he is in a suitable spot to succeed at Auburn. Speaking at the SEC Media Days, Arnold reflected on the disappointment of his sophomore season.
“It’s a lot different," Arnold said on Wednesday. "I’m grateful for where I’m at. I know God has a plan for me. If that was to struggle last year and go through everything I went through and persevere, that’s part of it. I’m grateful for where I’m at, and I think I’m in a great spot to thrive.”
He also highlighted the lessons he learned from his Oklahoma experience.
“It helps a lot, having experience like that, and being in close games like that, and being in tough games, and against really good opponents," Arnold said.
"It only made me stronger, and honestly, it’ll slow the game down for me a lot, just knowing that I’ve been in those environments before, I’ve been in those big games, and whether we’ve won or lost the big games, I’ve been in that, and I’ve had that experience that’ll only help me in the future.”
Arnold passed for 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine starts for Oklahoma in 2024.
