Former Auburn QB Ranked Among Most Impactful Transfers at New Program

One of the Auburn Tigers' quarterbacks from last year's squad is certainly experiencing a bounce-back year with his new program.

Now-UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold has been named one of the most impactful transfers in the nation through the first five weeks of 2026, according to a list released by On3 on Monday. Arnold ranked as the No. 3 most impactful transfer behind Missouri's Austin Simmons and Oregon State's Braden Atkinson.

Other players included in the list are Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez (No. 5), Kentucky's Kenny Minchey (No. 6), and Tennessee safety Dejuan Lane (No. 8).

NEW: Week 5 Transfer Portal Impact Players
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- Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) October 5, 2026

Arnold has undoubtedly seen a more productive start to the season under head coach Dan Mullen and the Rebels, as he's already thrown for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions.

He also boasts 73 carries for 270 rushing yards and five touchdowns, with his most productive day on the ground coming this past Saturday, when he recorded 110 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in UNLV's 39-31 win over Cal.

Arnold ranks second in the Mountain West in passing yards behind Hawaii's Micah Alejado and San Jose State's Luke Weaver, and he also sits second in passing touchdowns behind Weaver's 11.

On the ground, though, where he tends to be extremely dangerous, Arnold's five rushing touchdowns rank third in the league.

UNLV currently sits at 3-2 with losses to Memphis in the season opener and North Texas, during which the Mean Green boat raced the Rebels 44-6.

For the sake of comparison, Arnold posted 1,309 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions through the air across seven starts at Auburn in 2025. Although he played behind a lackluster offensive line, Arnold struggled heavily under former head coach Hugh Freeze last year.

The game seemed to move too fast for Arnold in many moments, as he took a whopping 30 sacks and was benched for backup Ashton Daniels in the Arkansas win.

However, Arnold now seems to be righting the ship in some ways, as he looks to have found somewhat of a groove out west.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Former Auburn QB Ranked Among Most Impactful Transfers at New Program.