Dan Mullen has his next field general.
UNLV footballannounced on Wednesday, Jan. 7 that it has landed formerOklahomaandAuburnquarterbackJackson Arnoldin the transfer portal.
The Rebelswill be the third program that Arnold has played for in the last three years. It is the second consecutive season that Arnold has transferred to a new program in the offseason.
Field general 🪖Welcome to Las Vegas@_JacksonArnold_🎰pic.twitter.com/ZcdAvT2qfW
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball)January 7, 2026
At UNLV, Arnold will take over a Rebels offense that led the Mountain West this past season in scoring offense (30.4 points per game) and total offense (446.4 yards per game) under Anthony Colandrea, who hasnow transferred to Kentuckyafter an initial commitment to Nebraska.
A former five-star recruit at Oklahoma, Arnold started the 2024 season as theSooners' starting quarterback but was briefly benched for Michael Hawkins Jr. after some early struggles before finishing the regular season in the starting role.
That narrative followed Arnold atAuburn, where Arnold was benched after the first half on the road against Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 25. He completed 136-of-215 passing for 1,309 yards with six touchdown passes and two interceptions in his lone season at Auburn, where he led the Tigers to a 3-4 overall record (0-4 in SEC play).
As noted by Adam Cole of the Montgomery Advertiser— part of the USA TODAY Network — Arnold met with new Auburn coach Alex Golesh's staff in early December following his hiring and was encouraged to explore other opportunities.
Jackson Arnold recruiting rankings
As transfer: Three-star | No. 553 nationally ranked player | No. 45 ranked quarterback
As recruit: Five-star | No. 8 nationally ranked player | No. 4 ranked quarterback
Arnold was listed as a three-star recruit and the No. 45 nationally ranked player in the transfer portal,according to 247Sports' rankings.His grading in his second go-around as a transfer is a notable drop from his rankings coming out of high school, as he was a five-star recruit and the No. 8 nationally ranked player in the 2023 recruiting class,according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings.
Jackson Arnold stats
Here's a look at Arnold's stats at Oklahoma and Auburn:
2023 (Oklahoma): 44-of-69 passing for 563 yards with four touchdown passes and three interceptions; 116 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 31 carries
2024 (Oklahoma): 154-of-246 passing for 1,421 yards with 12 touchdown passes and three interceptions; 444 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 150 carries
2025 (Auburn): 136-of-215 passing for 1,309 yards with six touchdown passes and two interceptions; 311 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 112 carries
See which top QBs are on the move in busy college football transfer portal
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:UNLV football lands Jackson Arnold in transfer portal
