The seven-time national champion Oklahoma Sooners struggled through their second 6-7 campaign in three years last season, their first in the SEC.
Perhaps the darkest moment of the season came in Week Four, in their first game against a nationally ranked team, the Tennessee Volunteers, when sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched after his third turnover of the first half.
When the season was over, it was clear to Arnold and his family that he needed to restart his college career from square one. He entered the transfer portal, and moved to another storied SEC program, the Auburn Tigers.
On the field, things are going great. But in the NIL cash competition, Arnold is coming hip way behind his replacement in Oklahoma.
🔴 Oklahoma’s John Mateer — 9 straight games with a Pass TD & a Rush TD
🟠 Auburn’s Jackson Arnold — 223 straight passes without an INT
QB Switch Works Out For Both Sides
On the field, at least so far, the move has worked out for both teams. Under their new quarterback, Washington State transfer John Mateer, the Sooners have raced out of the gate to a 3-0 record including a statement Week Two win over Michigan.
Arnold has led his new team to a 3-0 record as well, but the Tigers will be looking for their statement win Saturday when the quarterback returns to Norman to face Mateer and the Sooners as No. 22-ranked Auburn faces No. 11 Oklahoma in a game to be nationally televised on ABC.
But while the Arnold-Mateer matchup will surely be the focus of attention on the field, there is no question that Arnold is getting the short end of the off-field competition when it comes to their bank accounts. The new Oklahoma signal-caller far outdoes his predecessor when comparing their NIL compensation deals.
Mateer Exceeds Arnold in Money Race
Since a 2021 United States Supreme Court decision ruled that student athletes may receive money for their services in the form of selling rights to their name, image and likeness, or NIL, college football has become a lucrative extracurricular activity for the students who play it — at least for the star players, and quarterbacks in particular.
According to the NIL-tracking site On3, as Auburn’s quarterback, Arnold has assembled a package of NIL deals valued at $1.6 million — no small amount for a 21-year-old.
But Mateer has done much better with his move from the Pacific Northwest to Oklahoma, with a valuation of $3.2 million, according to an On3 estimate.
Sooners QB on Rise, Arnold’s Value Drops
Mateer’s undefeated start to his Sooners career has added to his bank account, according to the site. He started the season at $2.8 million. Arnold, on the other hand, has seen his valuation drop by 14 percent, after starting the season at $1.8 million, according to On3.
Arnold’s valuation ranks him 45th among all college football players, according to the site. Mateer’s NIL deals earn him the eighth overall ranking, just behind Penn State’s senior quarterback Drew Allar.
Their respective valuations reflect the role reversal between Arnold and Mateer in their college careers. Not only had Mateer taken over the Sooners offense from Arnold and promptly proven more successful in the role, he has also surpassed Arnold since their last meeting in the gridiron — four years ago on a Texas high school field.
“Arnold, a junior, was a future five-star recruit getting recruited by the Sooners and many others, while Mateer was a senior just trying to get noticed by a major program,” recalled Dekota Gregory of the Stormin’ Norman Sooners site.
Arnold’s Denton Guyer High School smacked down Mateer and his Little Elm High School 45-21 on that Friday night, October 28, 2021. They get their return meeting on Saturday in front of a crowd of more than 83,000 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Auburn QB Jackson Arnold’s NIL Money: How His Pay Compares With John Mateer