How Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold Sharpened the Mental Side of His Game This Offseason

DALLAS — The Alamo Bowl is firmly in Jackson Arnolds rear view.

Oklahoma’s new starting quarterback has been working hard all spring to improve as he enters his first year as the true leader of OU’s offense, and he has his sights set on the future.

Arnold flashed his arm talent in the second and third quarters against Arizona last December, which had coaches across the country raving. But four turnovers ruined his first start.

Addressing those mistakes was the obvious lesson from the game, but he had another focus during spring training to develop into the quarterback Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Seth Littrell I hope he can start as a sophomore in 2024.

“After that game against Arizona, I had to do a lot of maturing and growing up,” Arnold said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “When I took on that QB1 role, I had to be a real leader for us, for our team, and taking on that role, I know I have to grow as a person, as a player as well.

“And the person I am today and the player I am today has improved dramatically from where I was in that bowl game.”

At the start of bowl practice last year, Arnold admitted that the leadership aspect of his new job was a little uncomfortable.

“All those guys had Dillon at quarterback all year,” Arnold said. “I felt like I was taking over (Gabriel’s) role for him.”

Those worries are a thing of the past.

“The biggest part of leadership that I’ve focused on this offseason has been being a vocal leader,” Arnold said. “Standing up through conditioning or training or whatever, just being vocal to those guys and picking them up. Even when we’re all in the mix, just leading those guys, telling them things and how we work and just showing them how things are done.”

It can take time to step into a leadership role.

Danny Stutsman is now so much more than just OU’s best linebacker.

He was the heart and soul of the defense in 2023 and is a talisman for the Sooners.

Stutsman has had to learn the hard way how difficult it can be to lead an entire team, and he sees Arnold struggling with that now.

“It’s tough for him,” Stutsman said. He only played one game last year and had all those expectations put on him. He’s done a great job of stepping into that role and doing what he needed to do.

“For me, I look back to my sophomore year when I earned that starting spot. It took a while. I thought the guys on defense were leaders. I realized early on that someone had to take on that more vocal role.

“… Sometimes guys don’t want to be there, and you can see it right away. You’ve got to be the one to wake them up, to get them going. Sometimes I’m that person, and I’ve got to understand that if I go to practice or to practice and I’m not 110 percent, I’m not going to be the one to make everybody clap, to make everybody go with that energy, then people are going to benefit from that in both ways.”

As spring training gave way to summer training, Arnold still had his own checklist of improvements on the field.

He tested his skills against the nation’s other top quarterbacks at the Manning Passing Academy, where he continued to try to combine his arm strength with a better understanding of exactly where the ball needs to go on each play.

“I think the biggest thing for me after the spring league was addressing the mental side of football,” Arnold said, “whether that’s looking at defenses or how Coach V looks at offense, getting a defensive perspective on the game.

“But I just really want to focus on the mental aspect of football and just learn different things that will help me identify coverages or make better reads for the season.”

The real test for Arnold comes in September, when the Sooners open SEC play against Tennessee and close the month with a trip to Auburn.

His development will largely determine Oklahoma’s fate in 2024.

But as the Sooners prepare to open training camp at the end of the month, it’s clear he’s made the necessary moves off the field to lead OU this year.

“I think Jackson is starting to understand that and he’s doing everything he can to become that leader,” Stutsman said.