NORMAN — Jackson Arnold once believed he could arrive on Oklahoma’s campus during the summer, adjust to the football program and be prepared for a season in the fall.
After spending two months at OU, the five-star quarterback now realizes how naïve that was.
“I never realized how much of a benefit it truly was until a month in,” Arnold said after a recent practice. “I thought if I came this summer, I could learn this offense pretty quick and get used to it and learn how to essentially play this offense in the fall pretty quick. That’s wrong. I need it. I’m going to need this whole spring to get used to this offense and get used to learning Coach (Jeff) Lebby’s offense.”
Arnold is being mentored by returning starter Dillon Gabriel this spring. He’s also working out with Davis Beville, General Booty and Jacob Switzer at the position.
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Shortly after signing day, Arnold received OU’s vast offensive playbook. He was ready to immediately digest everything, but it was almost like trying to learn a new language.
“After I signed, they were allowed to send us the playbook. Just going through it at my house, there weren’t a lot of things I understood,” he said. “To be able to come up here and talk to the coaches and dealing with the whole quarterbacks room too and going through some stuff, it clears up a lot for me and helps me read out the plays.”
Gabriel is entering his fifth season playing college football, but remembers his first days on the UCF campus. He played as a true freshman, but was a sponge that had to learn a lot.
“You think about a freshman who’s 18 years old, really should be in high school. They’re juggling a lot of things, and a lot of people don’t put that into perspective,” Gabriel said. “We’re playing at a high level, but he’s also 18. He’s learning, he’s growing and you’ve just got to take that all into perspective. He’s got school, he’s got a relationship, he’s got a family, he’s got football, he’s got a lot going on, which is obviously what we signed up for, but just something to think about.
“It’s a lot to put into perspective. He’s doing a great job and he’s doing just fine, but he’s a stud. I love the kid.”
What does Gabriel like most about Arnold’s game?
“More than his game, I just like the type of person he is. I think it takes that kind of person to be a quarterback. Super selfless, loving, caring, and that’s what we need. Not me-guys, but we-guys,” Gabriel said.
Arnold said he’s spent much time adapting to the pace of the game at OU. He played in an up-tempo attack at Denton Guyer (Texas) High School, but this may be a bit speedier.
He now understands how intense the practices can be. While at Guyer, he said, the teams rarely worked out against each other. At OU, scrimmages are common.
When something complicated emerges, Arnold leans on his older teammates.
“Learning this offense isn’t easy at all and having somebody like Dylan and the rest of the quarterbacks in the room — Davis and General — being able to ask them a question in meetings about something I don’t quite understand has been really helpful so far,” Arnold said.
Lebby said Arnold spends plenty of time studying video, which impresses the offensive coordinator.
“He understands what it means to be the guy here and understands what it is going to take for him to get to that point. He’s spent a lot of time and has done a good job in there, which has been good to see,” Lebby said.
Arnold said Lebby hasn’t changed since his recruitment, which included being wooed to Ole Miss by the current OU coach.
Lofty expectations have followed Arnold since he arrived on campus. They’ve continued through spring drills and likely will carry over into the fall.
How is he handling that now that he’s going through spring drills?
“My expectation coming into here was become a better football player overall. Come in the spring and learn the playbook and not only being a better football player, but a better student too — come to college and transition to that life,” Arnold said.
“I think I’m doing pretty well so far.”
eric.bailey@tulsaworld.com
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