DALLAS, Texas — There's a lot of things Jackson Arnold has learned throughout his football career. But perhaps the main lesson can be boiled down into one word.
Resiliency.
It's been a big word for Arnold, particularly last season as he navigated his first year as a college quarterback. The stakes will only be higher this fall, as he officially steps into the shoes as the Sooners' starting quarterback.
He won't just be tasked with leading the Sooners into the SEC. The true sophomore will also be asked to lead OU's offense, both on and off the field, without a ton of experience. But it's a moment that Arnold has been preparing for since he arrived in early 2023.
"For me, I feel like I've learned to be resilient, especially after the (Alamo Bowl)," Arnold said during SEC Media Days on Tuesday. "I had that experience my freshman year of high school. It's different at the college level. There's a lot more eyes on me, a lot more negativity that can be thrown your way. Just being resilient and being able to overcome that adversity was huge for me in the Bowl game and will be this fall because we'll face adversity.
"(OU coach Brent Venables) says you just came out of a storm, going into a storm or you're in a storm right now. So adversity is coming your way, and being resilient and be able to fight that is something I learned about myself this spring."
The good news for Arnold is that he's had some time to prepare for this.
Last season was mostly a learning experience for Arnold, as he spent most of the season behind then-starter Dillon Gabriel. Still, he had his moments where he was thrown into the fire. That first moment came against BYU, when Arnold started the second half with the game tied at 17-17 after Gabriel was knocked out of the game with a head injury.
The biggest learning experience came in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona. Arnold logged his first career start with Gabriel heading to Oregon and had some explosive moments, finishing with 361 passing yards and two touchdowns. But there were some tough moments, too, notably tossing three interceptions as the Sooners fell 38-24.
"I had that start in the bowl game and the results weren't as planned," Arnold said. "But going into that game it was a little different being QB1. All those guys had Dillon as their quarterback the whole year. It felt like I was taking (Gabriel’s) role from him last year but going into this offseason, it's been huge for me to build chemistry with those guys. And like I was saying with the leadership earlier, just being a more vocal leader for those guys and really bonding with them and just gelling as a team and as an offense.”
Those were all learning experiences for Arnold. But he's known for months that his first real challenges would come this fall.
The Sooners recruited the former five-star prospect to eventually be the starting quarterback and help transition the team into the SEC. He's spent all spring and offseason as the no-doubt starter, using that time to establish himself as the go-to guy with his teammates. The Sooners' offense faces some questions heading into the season, particularly on the offensive line, but he'll also be surrounded by proven veterans at every position group, especially at wide receiver.
Even as a young guy, Venables knows Arnold is ready for the challenge. But he knows Arnold will need some guidance, too.
"Jackson understands better than anybody what goes into being a quarterback of a football team of the locker room, the leader, the face, the responsibilities, the challenges," Venables said. "What I feel best about and have the most peace about is his ability to be able to handle the highs and the lows, the challenges, the success, the failure that a season will bring you.
"Nobody is more competent or more ready, even though he's a young player, and we've gotta, in some ways, be the headlights for him. That's why they call us coach. But his skill, his arm talent, his toughness, his instincts, his ability to lead people, bring out the best in people, no question about it, he's ready for his opportunity and his moment."
Arnold's got the full support of his teammates, too, especially veteran linebacker Danny Stutsman.
“Today (I) actually had the honor, my first opportunity to work out with the offense, had defense a little bit later. I just wanted to sit back," Stutsman said. "I wasn't as vocal as I usually was, just kind of see how the offense does it, and the first guy to say something was Jackson Arnold.
"Every single day I know that's how he is. It was kind of a sense of security, like, 'All right, this guy leads this offense.' Being on the other side, didn't really see that, but now waking up today, 6 a.m. He's the first guy in there getting everyone going, kind of being that motivation, that spark plug the offense needs, there's no doubt in my mind he's everything that we need.”
Arnold is still a very young player and will likely face some adversity over the next few months. But if there's anything he's learned, it's how to overcome resiliency. And it doesn't hurt that this Arnold has been waiting for this season.
"Obviously, you never know how things are gonna play out, but I always knew that I wanted to start for this school while we were playing in the SEC," Arnold said, "and to see that actually coming to fruition, it's really special.”
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