SAN ANTONIO — Jackson Arnold probably isn’t going to plant a flag in the middle of the Alamodome field should his University of Oklahoma squad beat Arizona in the Alamo Bowl on Thursday night.

He’s not likely to deliver a fiery pregame speech that makes it onto the ESPN broadcast ahead of the 8:20 p.m. kickoff.

And that’s just fine with Sooners coach Brent Venables.

The Jackson Arnold era officially is unveiled Thursday as the freshman quarterback makes his first career start after Dillon Gabriel’s transfer to Oregon earlier this month.

Arnold’s demeanor is definitely different from Gabriel’s combination of Hawaiian Aloha spirit and fiery intensity.

It’s not the chip-always-on-your-shoulder vibe that made Baker Mayfield an OU legend.

It’s not the aloof, above-the-fray yet sensationalistic presence Kyler Murray exuded, or the intense eyes-always-on-the-prize manner that defined Jalen Hurts’ season in crimson and cream.

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Brent Venables likens Jackson Arnold to Sam Bradford

Instead, Arnold’s presence reminds Venables of another former Sooners quarterback.

“When I was a young coach I thought the quarterback had to be like the middle linebacker — rah-rah, emotional,” Venables said Wednesday. “After I coached Sam Bradford on the scout team, who later became the No. 1 pick in the (NFL) Draft, I learned quickly as I tried to get Sam to do it like I wanted him to do it, maybe his way is better. Very cerebral, consistent, same guy every day, puts the work in. Just a fantastic teammate.”

That is what Venables has seen in Arnold, especially in the more than three weeks since Gabriel announced his decision to enter the portal.

“There’s no entitlement whatsoever in Jackson,” Venables said. “He’s got the instincts that you want him to have, the poise, whether it’s the ability to climb in the pocket, patience, trust guys around him, throws open with great anticipation, all the skills you want a guy to have.”

Thursday’s game is as much about turning the page to 2024 — when Arnold and the Sooners make their leap into the SEC — as it is about putting a bow on the 2023 season.

“Like I told him, we’re both getting our first start together,” new Sooners offensive coordinator Seth Littrell said. “It’ll be an amazing time. No one better to do it with. Like I told him, we’ve got great playmakers around us, great coaches around us that are going to make plays for us, too.

“Our job is to work as hard as we can, collaborate effort with everybody else, and do our job, make the plays and manage the game that we’re supposed to, and let the guys around us back huge plays for us, as well.”

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Jackson Arnold's journey from five-star recruit to OU starting QB

Arnold arrived with all the hype that comes with being a five-star prospect at the most important position in sports, and coming from a program like Denton (Texas) Guyer.

“He’s been around the game since he came out of his mama’s womb,” Venables said. “Been throwing the ball around since then.”

After playing sparingly for much of the season as Gabriel excelled, Arnold got a glimpse of what it took to be QB1 when Gabriel was out with an injury for the second half of the Sooners’ win at BYU late in the season.

Arnold’s numbers weren’t phenomenal — 5 of 9 for 33 yards through the air and eight carries for 24 yards — but he did enough to lift the Sooners to victory and gained valuable experience.

“He knows the offense,” Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen said of Arnold. “He’s dangerous with his feet, so we’ve got to make sure we’re accounted for because the quarterback runs and things like that that they do.”

Over the last three weeks, Arnold has flashed the steadiness that defined Bradford’s tenure as the Sooners’ quarterback.

“He might have two or three bad practices where, boy, left a little to be desired, not as much of an opportunity as what he has now,” Venables said. “Now, if he had a bad play, he doesn’t have a bad series. If he had a bad series, he doesn’t have a bad day. He’s quickly able to regain his composure and not let a bad moment really affect him. You’ve seen that happen throughout the course of the season, but especially during the last several practices.”

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Alamo Bowl

No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona

KICKOFF: 8:15 p.m. Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (ESPN)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma football QB Jackson Arnold shows some Sam Bradford qualities