Joel Klatt isn’t ready to hand Arch Manning the crown just yet.
With No. 1 Texas set to walk into Knoxville for Saturday’s SEC opener against No.
14 Tennessee, the FOX Sports analyst said the hype around Manning still hasn’t quite matched what he’s put on the field through three games. Texas is unbeaten, Manning is putting up numbers, and the spotlight only gets brighter now that the Longhorns are leaving Austin for a road test at Neyland Stadium.
“Arch has not lit it on fire this year,” Klatt said on his podcast. "Those last three drives against Ohio State, he was excellent, more gritty than excellent, but he got the job done. Outside of those guys, and I know that this is a contrarian take and no one wants to have it, Arch has not been that impressive."
That critique lands at a moment when Manning’s profile is impossible to separate from the expectations that come with his name. He has thrown for 661 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, production that keeps him among the top quarterbacks in college football. But Klatt’s point is that the Texas offense still hasn’t really become Manning’s show.
“I know we all want him to be impressive because of the last name, but he’s got to take the next step, and the next step for him is playing well on the road, anticipating throws," Klatt added.
That road test comes with a little extra noise. Tennessee will have the stage, the crowd, and the national attention, while Manning will also be stepping into a place his uncle, Peyton Manning, has called a second home for decades. For Arch, though, the job is simpler than the setting: handle the environment and keep Texas rolling.
Klatt pointed to Texas being stronger at the line of scrimmage and more capable of running the football than it was a year ago. If that part of the offense shows up against Tennessee, he believes Manning’s afternoon should be manageable.
“I think Texas is a lot better at the line of scrimmage and specifically running the football than they were a year ago," Klatt said. "If that shows up for them in this game against Tennessee, then everything’s going to be fine, and Arch is going to be out there, and he’ll have a good game."
Still, Manning can’t lean forever on the ground game or on flashes from Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown. If he wants the conversation to shift, he has to own more of the offense himself. Otherwise, the questions about whether he has lived up to the hype will keep coming, even with Texas winning.
“At the end of the day, you’re a quarterback at Texas. Your last name’s Manning. Regardless of what you do, you’re going to get critiqued," Klatt said.
No. 1 Texas (3-0) faces No. 14 Tennessee (3-0) on Saturday at noon ET on ABC.
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