Joel Klatt defends Arch Manning as second-best QB in college football, compares to Trevor Lawrence

On Monday, Joel Klatt predicted Arch Manning to be the second-best quarterback in college football in the upcoming season, only trailing Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik. The FOX Sports analyst didn’t hesitate to defend his stance, either.

“I believe in him, I believe in his coach, I think that this program is one of the three best programs in college football right now — it’s time for Arch Manning,” Klatt said. “I know he only started two games last year, and I’m always big on experience, but did you see him play in those two games? Don’t we know anything about Steve Sarkisian and the way that he builds an offense around the tools that he has.

“He’s got a stronger arm than Quinn Ewers. Quinn was experienced, there’s no doubt. Stark was loyal to Quinn, there’s no doubt. But, there’s a difference to the offense when Manning went in than when Quinn Ewers was in. This is not a knock. It becomes more dynamic. And the reason is because Arch puts more players in conflict on the field than what Quinn Ewers did.”

Arch can do it all on the gridiron. In his two starts last season, Manning completed 41-60 pass attempts for 583 yards and four touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. He also recorded 29 rushing yards and a touchdown.

While Manning didn’t start in Texas’ Week 2 win over UTSA, he subbed in early after Ewers suffered an abdominal strain. Manning finished the game 223 passing yards, 53 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. Klatt expects Manning to only improve as Texas’ full-time starter.

“I don’t think anybody realized how athletic he actually is on the outside, but he can run,” Klatt said. “He puts safeties in conflict because he can threaten every blade of grass on the field. He’s got a great arm, a really great arm, and he’s accurate with it. I look up and I think to myself, ‘You know what, Arch is going to be really good again.’

“I know it’s a projection, and I know that maybe some of this is his last name, but it’s just going to work out… When Arch did start those two games and he had a couple of those long runs, and Steve [Owens] was like, ‘Man, that looks like Trevor Lawrence.’ And I was like, ‘You’re right. It’s exactly what it looks like.’ When he gets a step, he’s gone.

“You don’t think of him as an athletic dual-threat quarterback, and yet he is… I know he’s not experienced, but I trust everything around him. Even if some of the players are going to be inexperienced around him, I trust the system around him. I trust his upbringing. I I think Arch is going to be an absolute star.”