MAJOR-NEWS: Shocking Criticism: “Alabama Analyst Slams Auburn QB Jackson Arnold: You Won’t Believe What He Said!”

Auburn football quarterback Jackson Arnold is generating plenty of excitement ahead of his debut in 2025, but he’s also facing some harsh criticism, most notably from former Alabama quarterback and current TV personality, Greg McElroy. McElroy didn’t hold back, labeling Arnold as “damaged” and questioning whether he can ever recover.

“I think he is damaged right now,” McElroy said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, according to Saturday Down South. “No one can deny that. He was absolutely a damaged player last year, and it’s going to take time to get things back on track. We’ve seen this before in the NFL, and it happens, but can he avoid the critical mistakes that got him benched in the first place? I don’t know, and that’s what we’ll find out with Jackson Arnold.”

McElroy’s comments are particularly pointed given Arnold’s history. The QB comes from Oklahoma, where he led the team to an upset over Alabama in Week 13, knocking the Crimson Tide out of College Football Playoff contention in 2024. Now headed to Auburn, Alabama’s bitter rival, Arnold has already made waves, going 1-1 against the Tigers and enduring a tough loss in 2010.

This harsh assessment from McElroy is a departure from his usual demeanor, as he’s not typically this critical. Still, Arnold’s critics aren’t limited to McElroy. Alabama-based writer Peter Rauterkus of AL.com is also skeptical about Arnold’s decision to transfer to Auburn.

He questioned whether Arnold was the best option for Auburn’s quarterback position, especially after the struggles of Payton Thorne in 2023 and the team’s decision not to recruit a transfer quarterback for 2024.

“Point blank, Freeze needs this decision to work out,” Rauterkus wrote after Arnold’s December 14 transfer announcement. “After Thorne’s struggles and not going for a proven transfer, his future at Auburn could depend on how Arnold performs.” He pointed out that coach Hugh Freeze chose Arnold over more established quarterbacks like Fernando Mendoza, Miller Moss, Maalik Murphy, and Darian Mensah, making this a risky but potentially high-reward move.

However, the critics are at least leaving the door open for Arnold’s comeback at Auburn. Historically, many of Auburn’s great quarterbacks have been transfers, including Cam Newton, Nick Marshall, and Jarrett Stidham, suggesting Arnold could have the potential to follow in their footsteps and turn his career around.