Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold has signed with Auburn, the school announced Saturday.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound sophomore has two seasons left. He’s making moves within the SEC to help the Tigers turn around after a 5-7 season in Hugh Freeze’s second year.

Freeze secured the commitment of his top target during an official visit that began Thursday, three days after Arnold entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

The Denton, Texas native was the third-best recruit in 2023 and the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior. He is the No. 4 quarterback in ESPN’s transfer rankings.

“The fit he has for our offense and for Auburn, I couldn’t be more excited,” Freeze said in a statement. “He’s a dual-threat guy who understands the RPO system very well and throws the ball deep very well.”

Arnold served as Dillon Gabriel’s backup during his freshman season, taking over as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback before the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona last December after Gabriel transferred to Oregon, and started 10 games for the Sooners.

Arnold posted 1,421 passing yards, 444 rushing yards, 15 total touchdowns and 3 interceptions in a challenging season for the quarterback and the program. The preseason No. 16-ranked Sooners posted a 6-6 record in their first year in the SEC and 2-6 in conference play.

During Oklahoma’s first SEC game against Tennessee, Arnold was benched before halftime by coach Brent Venables after three turnovers in the first half. Freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. replaced him to end the 25-15 loss, and Venables named him the starter in hopes that Hawkins “will give us a better chance going forward.”

Arnold didn’t play in the Sooners’ 27-21 comeback win at Auburn the following week and also didn’t play in the 34-3 loss to the then-No. 1 team. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry. But when Hawkins scored three goals in the first quarter against South Carolina the following week, Venables reverted to Arnold as his starter for the rest of the season.

Arnold has struggled to live up to expectations in an offense that has struggled with injuries and inconsistency all season.

Oklahoma relied on eight different starting lineup combinations along its offensive line in 12 games, and its projected top five wide receivers — Deion Burks, Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony and Jayden Gibson — missed significant time due to injuries. Anderson, Farooq and Anthony have now entered the transfer portal.

The Sooners averaged 21.2 points per game against FBS opponents, the second fewest among SEC teams, and finished in the bottom 10 in the FBS in yards per game (4.8), yards per pass attempt (6.1 ) and sacks allowed (46).

Despite these issues, Oklahoma still managed to stun the then-No. 7 Alabama in its home finale, a 24-3 loss that ultimately led to the Crimson Tide’s elimination from the first edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Arnold rushed for a career-high 131 yards on 25 carries and completed 9 of 11 passes for 68 yards in the victory, securing bowl eligibility for the Sooners. They will play Navy in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on December 27th.

At Auburn, he’ll have the opportunity for a fresh start on a team determined to compete in the SEC in Freeze’s third season. The Tigers will lose All-SEC running back Jarquez Hunter and leading receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith to the NFL, but are adding four top freshman wide receivers: Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson and Bryce Cain.

Freeze needed a No. 1 quarterback through the portal to help Auburn take its next big step forward after 22-game starter Payton Thorne graduated and backups Hank Brown and Holden Geriner signed up for one decided to transfer. Brown chose Iowa.

The Tigers started 2024 at 2-5 with four straight SEC losses, but then battled back to win three of their last five games, including a 43-41 victory over then-No. 15 Texas A&M in four overtimes. They fell short of bowl eligibility, losing 28-14 in the final at Alabama. In Auburn’s seven losses, the offense averaged just 13.3 points per game.

With Arnold now on board, Freeze and the Tigers are expected to be aggressive this month in their efforts to further improve the roster through transfer portal additions.

Arnold’s first SEC conference game with the Tigers in 2025 will be a return trip to Norman to face Oklahoma on Sept. 20.