Auburn seemed to find the answer to its quarterback question this offseason when Oklahoma transfer and former five-star recruit Jackson Arnold committed to the Tigers. Apparently, though, he might not be the only answer.
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said on his weekly radio show Monday that the three top quarterbacks on the roster — Arnold, Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels and five-star true freshman Deuce Knight — could see time in the season opener Aug. 30 at Baylor.
“This guy ran away from some really good teams, like Clemson and Notre Dame,” Freeze said of Daniels, according to Auburn Undercover. “He’s got an extra gear. And so, there’s always a place for that.”
On Knight, Freeze said the freshman “can make any throw on the field, and he has a poise about him for a freshman that’s unique.”
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Even if Daniels or Knight feature for just a play or series here or there, Freeze’s comments are certainly eyebrow-raising. Arnold was the No. 10 overall recruit in the 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ rankings. He was the No. 4 quarterback behind Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava and Dante Moore.
Arnold struggled in his first year as the starter for the Sooners. He managed just 1,421 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns in 10 games last year. His 5.8 yards per attempt ranked No. 118 out of 119 passer rating-qualified Division I players. However, he also had some good moments with Oklahoma, including a 24-3 win over Alabama in which he ran 25 times for 131 yards.
Auburn securing Arnold’s services was seen as a win for Freeze, who is facing a crucial Year 3 on The Plains after going a combined 11-14 (5-11 SEC) in his first two seasons. Instead, Freeze appears to be — at the very least — using his other signal callers.
Daniels threw for 10 touchdowns and an ACC-leading 12 interceptions last year at Stanford, but he also ran for 669 yards.
Knight, meanwhile, was the No. 56 recruit and No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class. Another big recruiting win for Freeze — Knight was originally committed to Notre Dame — Knight owns prototypical quarterback size (6-foot-4 and 217 pounds) and tremendous athleticism. Here’s part of 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins’ scouting report:
Dual-threat southpaw with a top-flight testing profile that has continued to improve as a passer, but remains very much a work in progress as he embarks on his collegiate career. Owns a smoother stroke and can rip the ball on tight lines to the second and third levels, but accuracy can vary and hamper drives. At his best when moving left and looking to attack the perimeter as he excels at connecting on out-breaking routes at or past the sticks. Can also challenge a defense vertically with his arm strength, but needs to get better at playing from a structured environment and working through his reads.
Auburn is a 2.5-point road favorite against Baylor, according to FanDuel.
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