Auburn QB Jackson Arnold Faces Doubters, Including Greg McElroy, Ahead of 2025 Season
Jackson Arnold, Auburn’s new quarterback, is generating excitement as he prepares for his debut on the Plains in 2025. While many believe in his potential, he also has his fair share of critics—none more vocal than former Alabama quarterback and current TV analyst Greg McElroy.
McElroy, known for his measured analysis, took an unusually harsh stance on Arnold, describing him as “damaged” and questioning whether he can recover from his struggles.
“I think he is damaged right now,” McElroy said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, as reported by Saturday Down South. “No one can deny that. He was absolutely a damaged player last year, and it is going to take a little while to get things rolling. We’ve seen this before in the NFL. It happens. Can you avoid the critical mistake that puts you on the bench to begin with? I don’t know the answer to that, and that’s what we are going to find out with Jackson Arnold.”
McElroy’s Criticism: A Personal Angle?
McElroy’s sharp critique of Arnold may stem from their history. Arnold transferred from Oklahoma, the team that defeated Alabama in Week 13 of the 2024 season, ultimately knocking the Crimson Tide out of College Football Playoff contention. Now, he’s heading to Auburn—one of Alabama’s biggest rivals.
Given McElroy’s past as Alabama’s quarterback, his stance on Arnold may not be entirely objective. Typically, McElroy doesn’t make such strong criticisms, making this particular instance stand out.
Other Doubters in Alabama
McElroy isn’t the only one with reservations about Arnold. AL.com’s Peter Rauterkus also expressed skepticism, questioning whether Arnold was the best option Auburn could have pursued in the transfer portal.
“Point blank, [Hugh] Freeze needs this decision to work out,” Rauterkus wrote after Arnold’s commitment on December 14. “After Thorne’s struggles in 2023 and then electing not to get a transfer quarterback in 2024, his future at Auburn could depend on how this next quarterback turns out.”
Rauterkus noted that Freeze chose Arnold over more proven quarterbacks such as Fernando Mendoza, Miller Moss, Maalik Murphy, and Darian Mensah. “For better or for worse, though, it’s a risk Freeze was willing to take. Now, it’s on him and his staff to unlock the potential they see in Arnold,” he added.
Auburn’s History with Transfer QBs
Despite the doubts surrounding Arnold, Auburn has a history of success with transfer quarterbacks. Some of the program’s most notable signal-callers—Cam Newton, Nick Marshall, and Jarrett Stidham—came from other schools before thriving at Auburn.
While skeptics question whether Arnold can follow in their footsteps, Auburn fans remain hopeful that he will prove the doubters wrong in 2025.
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