Gatorade names Guyer's Jackson Arnold national football player of the year, a DISD first

The five-star recruit graduated a semester early from Guyer and is set to start classes at the University of Oklahoma next week, making the award a fitting culmination of his high school career.

“It’s a good closing to my high school story,” Arnold said. “I’m actually leaving for college in two days, so this is probably the best wrap to my high school career and my high school experience that I can get.”

Arnold was also named Gatorade’s Texas Football Player of the Year last week. At that point, he was one of three finalists for the national award alongside fellow five-star quarterback recruits Arch Manning of Isidore Newman High (Louisiana) and Malachi Nelson of Los Alamitos High (California).

In looking at how he stacked up with the pair statistically, Arnold said he knew he would have a shot at the award but did not expect to receive it.

He was already at Guyer High on Thursday morning for the Wildcats’ football signing day ceremony, and found his way over to the school’s east fieldhouse at the request of Guyer coach Reed Heim.

“Coach Heim told me to come over here and help him move some stuff in the weight room, so I didn’t think anything of it,” Arnold said.

Arnold was greeted there by Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten, who is also the current head football coach at Liberty Christian High in Argyle. Witten presented Arnold with the trophy and the two later talked while playing catch.

“Sure enough, I walk in and see Jason Witten holding the Gatorade National Player of the Year trophy,” Arnold said. “It was a really cool experience, definitely still surreal. It still feels like a dream in a way.”

Taking home the trophy marked just the latest honor for Arnold in a high school career full of them.

Arnold earned MaxPreps’ Texas High School Football Player of the Year Award in December and was among the publication’s first-team All-Americans. He was also in contention for MaxPreps’ national player of the year award.

Arnold was one of four Guyer representatives chosen to be part of Team Speed at Under Armour’s All-America Game earlier this month. He was joined by Heim and teammates Peyton Bowen and Ryan Yaites at the event.

Over the summer, Arnold attended the Elite11 camp alongside many of the nation’s top quarterback prospects. He was named Elite11 Most Valuable Player as the event’s top performer.

Arnold was also the Denton Record-Chronicle’s 2021 All-Area MVP. He led Guyer to the 6A-DII state championship game that season, throwing for 3,921 yards and 34 touchdowns while adding 659 rushing yards for 12 scores.

After taking over as the full-time starter in 2021, Arnold guided the Wildcats to a combined 28-3 record over the last two seasons and back-to-back state semifinal appearances. He also entered the 2019 state title game as a freshman when then-starter Eli Stowers went down with an injury.

As he heads for Oklahoma, Arnold continues Guyer’s tradition of sending all of its starting quarterbacks to the Division I ranks since the program’s inception in 2006.

Jake Witt (Florida International) began the trend, followed by J.W. Walsh (Oklahoma State), Jerrod Heard (Texas), Shawn Robinson (TCU, Missouri and Kansas State), Luke Stillwell (Colorado) and Stowers (Texas A&M).

Arnold is also set to join several former Denton-area stars at Oklahoma, including Bowen and Ryan alumni Kalib Hicks (Class of 2023) and Billy Bowman Jr. (Class of 2021).

That departure will put an end to a Arnold’s standout high school career, leaving the quarterback with memories he won’t soon forget.

“The part I’m going to miss the most is the people I did it with,” Arnold said. “Having those experiences and being able to play with my boys these last four years is something I’m really going to miss.”