Auburn QB Jackson Arnold invited to Manning Passing Academy. Will he attend?
For over 25 years, many of the nation's top college quarterbacks have ventured to Thibodaux, Louisiana, to participate in the Manning Passing Academy. Auburn quarterback transfer Jackson Arnold is on the guest list for this season's event.
Receiving an invitation to attend the Manning Passing Academy is a great honor. Will Arnold attend this year's event? According to ESPN's Chris Low, Arnold did not accept the invitation.
Low reports that Arnold has turned down the opportunity to mingle and compete with the nation's best quarterbacks because he "wants to spend every minute he can with his WRs this summer." Auburn coach Hugh Freeze tells Low that Arnold wants to build chemistry with his receivers as he prepares to compete for the starting job this season with Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels and true freshman Deuce Knight.
Arnold was a stellar high school quarterback, which is a key reason the Manning camp is interested in bringing him in for the event. However, Arnold is looking for a fresh start in Auburn following a disappointing tenure at Oklahoma, and wants to develop strong relationships with the likes of Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Eric Singleton, and Horatio Fields to improve Auburn's win total from 2024 and to achieve the goal of producing the SEC's top offense this season.
Arnold, a former Gatorade Player of the Year from Texas, completed 63% of his passes in two seasons at Oklahoma for 1,984 yards and 16 touchdowns while tossing six interceptions. He is expected to be Payton Thorne's successor this season, but freshman Deuce Knight is keeping the competition close. Knight has reportedly committed zero turnovers in spring practice drills and is much further along in his development than Auburn coaches projected.
It will be interesting to see how Arnold's decision to turn down the Manning Passing Academy invitation will play a role in his success this season.
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