Joel Klatt believes patience is still the best play for Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
During Wednesday's episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the FOX Sports analyst said Manning should remain in college for at least another season to fully develop before heading to the NFL.
“We tiptoe around because of his last name,” Klatt said. “But even those guys would probably appreciate honesty. Arch was dreadful early in the year, and he’s gotten better in the last couple of weeks. Arch is a decent to average college football quarterback early in his career, and he’s going to need at least 20 more starts to be even remotely ready for the National Football League.”
"He's gonna need at least 20 more starts to be even remotely ready for the National Football League."@jasonrmcintyre and @joelklatt talk about what it will take for Texas QB Arch Manning to be NFL ready pic.twitter.com/jzMEj9rWDS
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 5, 2025
Klatt knows the position well and sees how future development can shape his career, instead of ruin it. Manning entered the 2025 season surrounded by Heisman buzz and first-overall pick projections, but he also spent two years on the bench. Klatt said experience, not hype, is what will make the difference for Manning.
“The only thing that matters is number of games started,” Klatt said. “You can’t replicate it. It’s the one thing that teaches a quarterback everything he needs to know.”
Through recent weeks, Manning’s improvement has been evident, guiding Texas back into the playoff picture while posting efficient numbers in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. He gained confidence throughout the four-game winning streak and hopes to maintain it after the bye week.
However, Klatt says the Longhorns’ young star is better served “cooking a little longer” before taking his next big step to follow in both of his uncle's footsteps.
Texas will face No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 15 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
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