Sooners QB Jackson Arnold enters game, burns redshirt

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold burned his redshirt when he replaced a struggling Michael Hawkins Jr. in the first quarter against South Carolina on Saturday. Arnold's fifth appearance this season means the former five-star prospect is no longer able to take a redshirt this season and is left with two years of eligibility after the 2024 season, according to NCAA rules. Arnold, a sophomore, completed 61 of 102 passes for 538 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in the first four games of the season, leading the Sooners to an early 3-1 record. He also rushed for 138 yards and a pair of scores. Arnold last saw action on Sept. 21, when he was benched during a 25-15 home loss to then-No. 6 Tennessee after he hit on just 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards and an interception. Hawkins took over, throwing for 132 yards and a TD on 11-of-18 passing, and was named the starting quarterback for Saturday's game. However, the freshman was pulled for Arnold after committing turnovers in each of Oklahoma's first three possessions against the Gamecocks. Earlier this week, when discussing the possibility of redshirting Arnold, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said the Sooners still have the sophomore passer in their plans this season. "What was told to Jackson is if we put you in, it's because we need you to help us go win," Venables said Tuesday. "We're certainly sensitive to everything. We're not sitting here with our head in the sand or naive to what it is. But man, he's a great teammate. He wants to be the starting quarterback at the University of Oklahoma." The Sooners entered Saturday's game 4-2 overall, with a 1-2 conference record in their first season in the SEC. --Field Level Media