Former OU QB Finds a New Home

Former quarterback Jackson Arnold is headed west via the transfer portal as CBS Sports national college football senior reporter Matt Zenitz reports the former Sooner starter has signed with UNLV. 

UNLV is coached by Dan Mullen and the offense is coordinated by Corey Dennis who also serves as the quarterback coach. Dennis led the Rebels to a top 20 offense that averaged 446 yards per game and a top 40 passing offense but lost quarterback Anthony Colandrea to the portal (who has now signed with Nebraska). Prior to UNLV Dennis served as the quarterbacks coach at the University of Tulsa in 2024 and prior to that was the quarterback coach at Ohio State University where he mentored CJ Stroud, Justin Fields, and the late Dwayne Haskins. Now Dennis will turn his attention to the former five-star recruit Jackson Arnold. 

Arnold played in 10 games for the Auburn Tigers in 2025 finishing the season completed 136 of his 215 attempts for 1,309 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He was second on the team in rushing yards finishing with 311 yards on 112 carries and added eight touchdowns on the ground. 

In two seasons with the Sooners, Arnold started 10 games and appeared in 17 while completing 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground, he added another 560 yards on 181 carries with four touchdowns. 

Out of Denton Guyer (TX) High School, the consensus five-star quarterback selected the Sooners over Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame and many others. He was named the 2022-23 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year and was the seventh highest-rated recruit in Oklahoma program history according to 247Sports' Composite rankings. Arnold was the No. 1 QB in the 2023 class according to ESPN and earned 2022 Elite 11 Finals MVP along with being named a 2022 Under Armour All-American. 

Arnold will have one year of eligibility remaining.