4 days ago
Fox Sports' Joel Klatt defends his assertion that Arch Manning is No. 4 best player in CFB
Texas heads into the 2025 season with an inexperienced starting quarterback. Aside from spot duty, the new starter only has two games of true experience. Of course, Arch Manning isn't just another QB ascending to the thrown because of timing. Some top analysts think he's one of the best players in the nation, like Fox Sports lead analyst Joel Klatt. But he's had to defend that choice.
In Klatt's preseason list of the Top 10 players in college football, the former Colorado quarterback listed Manning as the No. 4 best player in the nation. And he addressed Manning's lack of experience on the Joel Klatt Show Podcast.
'I know he hasn't been a full-time starter. ... But, like, Arch Manning deserves a spot on this list.' Fox Sports Analyst Joel Klatt
Klatt says he didn't put Manning in his top five because of his name or his program. He's watched the film on the Texas QB and he thinks he will be dangerous to opposing defenses.
'Listen, I get it. Because of his name, people roll their eyes and they're like, 'Hey, man, let him do something. Is he really that good?'. My answer is yes. If you watch the film, if you actually see the way that he plays, the way that he moves, the throws that he can make? Texas could be a more dangerous offense because of Arch Manning. Now, you understand, like, they had the experience of Quinn Ewers. But Arch attacks the grass on the field in a different way.' - Fox Sports Analyst Joel Klatt
Klatt maintains he saw enough in Manning's two 2024 starts to see the same kinds of things that he saw in Trevor Lawrence at Clemson.
'If you just look at the way that he played when he got his chances to play, it was dynamic. We only got to see him for a little bit. Played in ten games, yes, but there was only the two starts, and I want to point more so to the two starts than all the other time where he was kind of a specialty-type player, filling a role on the offense. ... In his two starts, that's when I thought his potential popped. In his two starts, he reminded me a lot of Trevor Lawrence when Trevor Lawrence was at Clemson – an athletic guy that didn't beat you with his athleticism, but could, but beat you with his arm. Smart, competitive. Great pedigree, obviously. In his two starts, 13 total touchdowns, two interceptions. Like, the guy can play and he's very, very good.' - Fox Sports Analyst Joel Klatt
While praising the experience Quinn Ewers brought to the tables as Texas starting QB last year, Klatt thinks Texas will be much more dangerous down the field.
"Texas is likely going to be looking downfield a lot more than they were in the last couple of years, and that's scary because they've been bringing in so many talented and fast wide receivers.' - Fox Sports Analyst Joel Klatt
Klatt will get a good look at Manning week 1 at Ohio State. The game at the Horseshoe is on Fox Sports.
