The biggest question in college football lately has been: what’s wrong with Arch Manning? While Manning attributes his struggles to mental hurdles, Fox analyst Joel Klatt argues deeper issues exist, pointing to problems with timing, mechanics, and overall rhythm in his play.
Joel Klatt suggests Arch Manning’s struggles stem from his style of play, not just his mindset. He points to flawed footwork and inconsistent arm strength as key concerns, arguing those mechanical issues are holding Manning back more than anything mental.
“I’m eating crow here. Arch has been really bad,” said Klatt when he made an appearance on the Birmingham, Alabama podcast, “The Next Round.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, the offense isn’t good quite around him as the offense was a year ago, they are banged up at running back, the offensive line is not great, you try to take all of that under consideration.”
Joel Klatt emphasized that Arch Manning’s biggest issue is rhythm and timing. According to Klatt, Manning consistently plays ahead of the offense on nearly every snap, which throws off the timing of routes. As he put it, “timing plus spacing equals completions.”
Klatt also broke down Manning’s accuracy concerns, pointing to his completion rate. While Manning currently completes 55 percent of his passes overall, the number drops significantly once throws extend beyond the line of scrimmage, where his percentage falls to just 46 percent.
Another red flag, Klatt noted, is the level of competition Manning has faced. Outside of Ohio State, Texas hasn’t played many elite opponents yet. That raises concerns about how Manning will handle the increased speed and complexity of SEC defenses when conference play begins.
Perhaps most alarming, Klatt admitted he’s not sure Manning’s flaws are even fixable. With his mechanics, timing, and rhythm all in question, Klatt left open the possibility that these issues could remain persistent problems rather than short-term growing pains.
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