COVINGTON, Ga. — It was hard to miss E’Sean Arnold on the field for Eastside football this past fall. Arnold was all over the place playing quarterback and defensive back while handling all of the punting responsibilities for the Eagles.
Now, the senior athlete — who once declared the personal mantra, “I’m just an athlete who makes plays.” — will take his multidimensional play to Charleston Southern.
The move became official in Eastside’s auditorium on Wednesday morning during the traditional National Signing Day period.
According to Arnold, the decision to go with Charleston Southern was quite simple.
“My relationship with the coaching staff was the difference maker,” Arnold said. “They recruited me at two different places. So why not go where you’re wanted?”
Arnold committed to the Buccaneers’ program on Jan. 20 after his official visit to the campus on Jan. 11.
In addition to Charleston Southern, Arnold also received offers from Stony Brook University as well as the University of the Cumberlands.
Ultimately, Arnold said his style of play fit more into Charleston Southern’s scheme compared to others.
“They want to use me in different ways on defense,” Arnold said. “They recruited me as an athlete so we’ll see.”
Once his senior season ended, Arnold was recognized on the All-Cov News squad as the First Team quarterback. That was after he was named First Team All-Region 8-AAAAA’s First Team All-Region.
Arnold’s final statistics allowed for such honors.
Offensively, the senior gunslinger completed 63% of his passes while throwing for 954 total yards with four touchdown passes. As a defensive back, Arnold had 63 tackles, three pass deflections and an interception.
Arnold recognized how his football journey at Eastside came with “a lot of adversity.” But he expressed gratitude for the Eagles’ support through it all.
“They have made me a better man and a better player,” Arnold said. “It means a lot. I’ll miss the family atmosphere of Eastside football and the Friday night lights at Sharp…there’s nothing like it.”
