Joel Klatt has been pretty open with his college football quarterback rankings for the new season, and it didn’t take long for this outlook on Texas’ decision to select Quinn Ewers over Arch Manning to begin a discussion. Based on this rating, Klatt ranks Ewers fourth among the best quarterbacks. This season, Ewers is destined for greatness, and he brings experience as well as comfort with the offense to the field.

Klatt’s confidence in Ewers is clear: “Number four, I’ve got Quinn Ewers at Texas, he’s going to have a great year, he’s an incumbent, we saw what he was able to do a year ago and I think he just takes another step.” Ewers has been on the consideration list for quite some time now. “Going into year three as a starter, he’s never going to feel more comfortable or confident. He’s got Steve Sarkisian, so not only does he have experience on the field, he’s got this experience within the system,” Klatt adds.

Attention has also been on Arch Manning, the former number-one recruit who has had a lot of hype around him. But, according to Klatt, Manning’s hype may even end up overshadowing the great performance that Ewers is well expected to produce. Klatt’s rankings do seem to reflect a basic truth that experience and proven performance are probably more realistic measures of a player’s worth. “The former No. 1 recruit is my No. 4 QB in college football,” notes Klatt, noting that Ewers’ current performance is more crucial at this time of his career.

Klatt’s rankings also have another mid-tier QB whom he also thinks is underrated—Cam Rising. “No. 3 is the guy I think has been forgotten in the lead-up to this season, largely because we didn’t see him last year,” Klatt says. 

Quinn Ewers vs. Arch Manning: why experience wins out

Some fans and sports analysts may consider this fact as a way of dismissing the abilities of Rising but Klatt begs to differ. As the season unfolds, let’s not overlook the significant difference that Rising’s return might bring, and let’s acknowledge his talents. The case of Joel Klatt ranking Quinn Ewers above Arch Manning is a good lesson in weighing experience in college football. Ewers, who is currently in his third season as a starting quarterback, has the familiarity and confidence in his setup for the Longhorns.

Klatt also noted that besides this, Manning did not perform last season, which gives Ewers an added advantage over Manning. While Manning has crazy hype and talent, Ewers is a safer pick for the Texas given his experience and relative comfort pocket. Klatt’s rankings well illustrate this factor, as he tends to believe that experience and continuity may hold more value than aptitude and expectation.

Ewers for Texas is now one of the most reliable and experienced players for the team. Quinn Ewers cannot and should not be overlooked, given his contribution to the team. In the season ahead, one can expect a lot of input from both Ewers and Rising which will further strengthen the idea that experience and a proven track record are crucial in college football.