Jackson Arnold understands that a strong connection can’t be built overnight.

It’s why one of his biggest priorities during his first offseason at Auburn is to spend as much time with his new receivers as possible before the Tigers kick things off in August.

“I didn’t know a single person on this team before I came in,” Arnold told reporters Wednesday. “So, I just feel like it’s just big for me to be around the guys and them to know me and get to know me and me get to know them and just create a relationship so that when we’re on the field, they trust me, and they respect me.”

Arnold arrived on the Plains in January, coming to Auburn via the transfer portal after spending two years at Oklahoma.

He elected to enter the portal following his redshirt freshman season in 2024, a season in which he started, was benched, saw his offensive coordinator get fired and struggled at times with a receiver core decimated by injuries.

Now at Auburn, Arnold will throw to a receiver group that includes exciting young players such as Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, along with potential impact transfers like Eric Singleton Jr. and Horatio Fields.

One of his biggest goals is to make sure the connection with that group is strong. That means workouts, practices, throwing sessions and time spent together off the field is important. One way Arnold is looking to make the most of that time is skipping the Manning Passing Academy, an event for high-profile college quarterbacks that he attended last year.

“I felt like for me I needed to be around these guys as much as I possibly can and I know that going there would’ve meant I’d miss a couple workouts with those guys, and I feel like that wasn’t fair to them,” Arnold said. “I feel like I should go through the whole summer with them and just keep bonding with them and keep gelling with them.”

Singleton, potentially one of Arnold’s top targets next season, said he and Arnold have been getting extra reps in since the two first arrived at Auburn.

“Real cool guy, brings a lot of energy,” Singleton said of Auburn. “He’s a spark on our team.”

Arnold used the terms “absolute studs” and “dudes” to describe the receivers he’ll be throwing to in 2025, but there’s still work to be done for the connection to be where Arnold wants it to be in the fall.

With that in mind, he sees every opportunity to throw and spend time with the group valuable.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m