‘Arch has not been that impressive’: Joel Klatt does not hold back on Arch Manning

Texas Longhorns star quarterback Arch Manning is the most high-profile player in college football. But as Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt points out, that doesn't make him the best.

Ahead of a showdown between the top-ranked Texas Longhorns and the unbeaten Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Klatt has made it clear that he's been largely unimpressed by how Manning has performed this year.

While the Longhorns might be undefeated and ranked No. 1 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, Klatt does not think that Manning has been particularly good individually.

"Now Arch has not lit it on fire this year," Klatt said on his podcast this week . "Listen, that last quarter and a half, if you want to call it that, those last three drives against Ohio State, he was excellent, more gritty than excellent, but he got the job done. Outside of that guys, and I know that this is a contrarian take and no one wants to have it, Arch has not been that impressive.

"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."

While Manning has obviously been good enough to keep Texas undefeated – which included a gutty comeback win over the then top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes – Klatt seemingly thinks Manning has more to prove.

"Let's go back to the list I was talking about on Monday when I was talking about Trinidad Chambliss as a quarterback. If you're a great player, you can execute in the passing game, and … your team can rely on the passing game, even if you don't have a run game," Klatt said. "Now, I will say this: I think Texas is a lot better at the line of scrimmage and specifically running the football than they were a year ago. 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."

Klatt is not the only one to criticize Manning for the way that he has played this season. After Texas' comeback win over Ohio State, former Alabama national champion quarterback and current college football analyst A.J. McCarron had a harsh assessment of Manning's play, calling the performance "horrible."

"I thought Arch looked horrible, honestly," McCarron said on an appearance on the McCready and Siskey Podcast . "And I love the Manning family. I thought Arch did not look good. If his first read was not open, he looked lost. He hangs on that first progression so long … He stares down his receivers way too much. Look at his last couple of possessions. Just take the fourth quarter. When any big throw, it's to his first progression. He never came off his first progression and hit another big throw … I'm not hating against Arch at all. Like I said, I love the Manning family. Known him since I was young or younger.

"I think Arch has a chance to be good, but I think he's got a lot of growing to do from a pocket awareness standpoint, from a progression standpoint, playing faster. I watched that young kid, the freshman from Tennessee tonight, and I thought him going through progressions looked better than what Arch looks. And Arch has had a whole year of playing experience over him."

Manning has a chance to change the narrative around his play this week.