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Arch Manning and the top-ranked Texas Longhorns will make the trip to Knoxville to face the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers this weekend. The SEC opener for the Heisman Trophy candidate comes with family ties and another test away from Austin.
All things considered, three games into the season and Joel Klatt isn't sold on Manning being a great quarterback. The FOX Sports analyst gave his best critique on Arch, which forces many to wonder why he hasn't been pushed over the top yet?
“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."
Manning has been given some real weapons around him at Texas this year, but he still lacks being able to take over games. Has he not lived up to the hype due to his last name? If so, what's fair to expect from the junior passer?
Now Arch goes into a road game where every national media outlet will pick apart being at Neyland Stadium, which his uncle, Peyton Manning, has called a second home for decades. This is just noise for a star quarterback still finding his place in his second year as a starter.
“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.
Manning has thrown for 661 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions this season. His numbers put him on par with the top level in college football. But he's doing it as a mere game manager at this point. Being able to win on the road in the SEC will stand out in this case.
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“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."
Manning can't always rely on the one-two punch of Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown to spark the offense. He'll need to take ownership and bring something to the table. Otherwise, the same criticism will follow Manning every week. Texas is winning, but will that be enough to gather interest from Heisman voters and keep their attention?
“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) heads to Knoxville to face No. 14 Tennessee (3-0) on Saturday (Noon ET, ABC).
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