No position is more important for
Auburn football
in 2025 than quarterback.
You can argue that’s the case for every football team at any level in any season, but it’s especially true for the Tigers, who have faced quarterback instability under head coach Hugh Freeze.
The room was completely rebuilt during the offseason, as all four scholarship signal callers in 2024 either transferred or ran out of eligibility. That opened the door for three newcomers and one Southeastern Conference transfer who will lead the way.
With that said, here’s a preview of Auburn’s 2025 quarterback room.
Players
*Jackson Arnold
— Junior, Oklahoma transfer
Ashton Daniels
— Senior, Stanford transfer
Deuce Knight
— Freshman
*Indicates projected starter
What to know
After two seasons of shaky quarterback play with Payton Thorne at the helm, Arnold is the player Freeze has already
publicly declared as the next starter.
The Oklahoma transfer spent one season as the Sooners’ starter in 2024, a campaign in which he was briefly benched and threw for fewer than 1,500 yards. The season was frustrating at best, marred by poor offensive line play, injuries in the wide receiver corps and a midseason offensive coordinator change.
As a five-star recruit out of high school, both Arnold and Freeze are confident he can play closer to his potential at Auburn.
“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,” Arnold said at SEC Media Days. “I’m grateful for where I’m at and I think I’m in a great spot to thrive.”
In Freeze’s eyes’, Arnold fits Auburn’s RPO-based offense, something Arnold said he ran both in high school and at Oklahoma. He’s also capable as a runner, highlighted by his 131-yard performance in Oklahoma’s win over Alabama.
Another quality of Arnold’s Freeze likes is his ability to take the top off of defenses on shot plays. Arnold didn’t show that much at Oklahoma, though, making just seven big time throws last season, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking 16th among SEC quarterbacks.
The pressure on Arnold could be part of that, as Oklahoma led the SEC last season in sacks allowed. However, Arnold led the conference in percentage of pressures turned into sacks, meaning some of the blame for those high numbers could be on him.
While the big time throw numbers were down, Arnold had the fifth-lowest turnover worthy play percentage in the SEC last season and only three interceptions. Thorne actually had an even lower turnover worthy play percentage for Auburn in 2024, but threw six more interceptions than Arnold.
Turnovers, particularly in key moments, were a problem for Auburn last season, so an ability to avoid forcing throws will be important.
Overall, it’s risky to expect Arnold to be an elite quarterback in 2025, but it’s important to understand the context of why he struggled like he did last season.
Behind him, Daniels and Knight are both capable and will likely battle for the backup role during fall camp.
Daniels didn’t participate in spring practice like Knight, but brings two years of Power Four starting experience with him. His best tool is his legs, rushing for 669 yards last season at Stanford, where Freeze said he “ran away from good football teams.”
His experience is arguably the most vital tool Daniels adds to the quarterback room. If Arnold has to come out of a competitive game early in the season, having someone with snaps under their belt is a better insurance plan than relying on a true freshman, even if that freshman was a five-star recruit.
Finally, there’s Knight, who may have the smallest role in 2025, but the highest ceiling. A five-star recruit out of Lucedale, Mississippi, he impressed the staff during spring practice. A minor injury to Arnold allowed him to take all the first-team reps during the
A-Day spring practice
, and the potential was on display.
Freeze said at SEC Media Days that it’s
hard to say what kind of role Knight will play
for the Tigers in 2025, but was adamant that the freshman is capable.
“He can make every throw. He’s got a high football IQ and is coachable,” Freeze said. “Not one excuse comes out of his mouth ever. So, he’ll be ready.”
Knight is a dual threat quarterback like the other two, making him another good fit for Freeze’s system. While Daniels’ experience may give him the slight edge in an emergency situation for now, Knight will have a chance during fall camp to compete for the backup role.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for
AL.com
. You can follow him on X at
@peter_rauterkus
or email him at
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